The United States has called for an urgent adoption of the South Interconnection Gas Pipeline law in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), a move criticised by the Russian Embassy as an act of "neo-colonialism."
The call was made during a meeting between US Ambassador Michael Murphy, his delegation from Washington, and members of the Federation of BiH (FBiH) Parliament. Notably absent were representatives of the Croat Democratic Union (HDZ) and Croat Republican Party (HRS). The pipeline project is seen as a critical step toward Bosnia’s energy independence by facilitating the import of American liquefied natural gas.
Reacting strongly, the Russian Embassy in BiH accused the US of undermining the country's sovereignty.
“Today, an unusual event occurred in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The US ambassador, accompanied by emissaries from Washington, delivered a clear lesson in classic neocolonialism. By gathering members of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Parliament, they ordered the urgent adoption of a law for the construction of the so-called ‘South Interconnection’ for the transport of American liquefied natural gas to BiH. In doing so, the legitimate representatives of the leading party of the constituent Croat people in BiH were deliberately not invited to the meeting,” stated the Russian Embassy.
They added that they had repeatedly spoken about the cooperation between Russia and BiH in the energy sector.
“Therefore, we will not repeat ourselves. However, today's event painfully reminded us of the scene when Joe Biden, still serving as the US Vice President, sat at the head of the table in Kyiv and lectured the Ukrainian leadership on how to live. It is obvious what this led to for Ukraine. Remember this day when all masks of ‘democratic’ courtesy were removed when the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina was demonstratively trampled by the boot of a ‘proven friend’,” they threatened.
Russia also expressed concerns over the ongoing discussions at the Peace Implementation Council (PIC), particularly concerning the issue of state property ownership, which it labelled as a “trigger for destabilisation.” Moscow dismissed international accusations of “Russian malign influence” as worn-out rhetoric.
The meeting with Ambassador Murphy also included Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Alexander Kasanof. Participants from various parliamentary factions in the Federation underscored the strategic importance of the South Interconnection project for energy security.
Separately, the PIC's session reiterated support for High Representative Christian Schmidt, backing his stance against secessionist rhetoric and actions threatening BiH’s territorial integrity.
The HDZ and HRS have not commented on their absence, while the US Embassy stressed the pipeline's importance for reducing energy dependency and promoting stability in the region.
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