Federal Minister of Energy, Mining, and Industry Vedran Lakić stated at a press conference on April 2 that sessions of both houses of the Federal Parliament could soon be held regarding the proposed amendments to the current legislation on the southern interconnection.
"In the coming days, sessions of both houses of the FBiH Parliament are scheduled, where the mentioned law will be discussed, and the most important phase is the conclusion of the contract between the Federation of BiH and the American investor. This will certainly be a turning point for the energy sector in BiH," Lakić said at the time.
The law, in the form of amendments and additions to the current legislation in this area, was proposed by the Federal Government, initiating its consideration by the FBiH Parliament under an urgent procedure.
On January 14, the Government adopted the information from the relevant ministry, which specified the investor and the need to launch the project's implementation. The text of the act, whose full official name is the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on the Gas Pipeline "Southern Interconnection of BiH and the Republic of Croatia," was adopted at the session of the FBiH Government on March 25.
Lakić noted that, in addition to the main route of the gas pipeline, the newly proposed amendments also foresee branches to the cities of Grude, Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje, Donji Vakuf, and Čapljina, as well as a new direction from Kladanj to Tuzla.
"This will allow us to begin gasification in the industrial part of Bosnia and Herzegovina and move closer to the Tuzla Thermal Power Plant," stated the Minister of Energy, Mining, and Industry at the time.
The amendments to the law also introduce the American investor, the company AAFS Infrastructure and Energy d.o.o., registered in Sarajevo and fully owned by the American company AAFS Infrastructure and Energy LLC, as announced by the Government on March 25.
This company sent a Letter of Intent and an offer for the implementation of the project to build the gas pipeline "Southern Interconnection of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia." The Letter of Intent and offer from AAFS confirm a serious interest in investing in this strategic project, which aims to further enhance the energy security of the Federation of BiH and enable the attraction of foreign investments while diversifying gas supply sources, the Government also stated.
No federal law, including this one, can come into force until it is approved by both houses of the Federal Parliament in identical text.
An extraordinary session of the House of Peoples of the Federal Parliament has also been convened for April 15. Only one item on the agenda has been announced—the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on the Gas Pipeline "Southern Gas Interconnection of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia."
The law, in the form of amendments and additions to the current legislation on the Southern Interconnection, was proposed by the Federal Government, initiating its consideration by the FBiH Parliament under an urgent procedure.