Will They Yield to Importing Gas Three Times More Expensive than Russian?
Is it a politically or economically justified project? The pressure from America to implement the Southern Gas Interconnection indicates that the West is determined to impose its interests on BiH, disregarding procedures and the potential cost to citizens. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Dragan Čović, the president of HDZ BiH, of obstructing the project.
He sent letters to the foreign ministers of BiH and Croatia, urging them to exert pressure. All this is done under the pretext of protecting against alleged Russian influence.
The Southern Gas Interconnection, previously agreed to run parallel with the Eastern New Interconnection, is a project that the United States now shamelessly advocates for.
Are they interested in the construction conditions, economic justification, or simply fulfilling their political interests at any cost? The answer may lie in the demand from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who, for the lack of project initiation, blamed Dragan Čović, the president of HDZ BiH.
And for that, he complained to the foreign ministers of BiH and Croatia.
The Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gordan Grlić Radman, stated that the project is significant for his country as well.
“I am not against the Southern Gas Interconnection, but certain procedures must be respected before construction,” said Dragan Čović, the president of HDZ BiH.
He added that American pressure will not pass.
“Even if it starts today, it cannot be completed in seven or eight years, and a lot of money is needed,” Čović said.
However, Americans seem to have different priorities. At least according to energy experts’ assessments, the construction of the Eastern New Interconnection would be much more cost-effective than the Southern one.
Logically, the price of gas transported via a gas pipeline is much cheaper than liquefied natural gas transport.
The information that the U.S. Secretary of State is addressing the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Council of Ministers and directly asking him to ensure the prompt realization of the Southern Interconnection project clearly shows how agile they are when it comes to their interests. The real sense of the whole circus with Christian Schmidt is to be their personal representative and enable them to completely control BiH’s resources, said the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik.
“The British do it, the Americans do it, and the question is, what else will we hear these days about the criminal activities involving high officials in BiH, all at the behest of the West? And now someone needs to believe that all this is because they want to protect BiH from Russia’s influence, so they will push their gas at such a favorable price that it will dazzle them in the Federation, just like in Europe. And that’s their help and policy of peace, respecting Dayton and sovereignty? These Americans really think we are illiterate and that no one knows how to add two and two and why they are doing what they are doing to protect their interests,” Dodik emphasized.
It has long been clear that politics has overshadowed the economy.
However, when a U.S. official, without a shred of diplomatic manners, demands the fulfillment of certain requests in the interest of his country and at the expense of others, it might be called a diplomatic scandal. But when it comes to the United States, it seems that everything is allowed, and nothing should surprise us.
Source: RTRS
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