Republika Srpska expects to strengthen its partnerships with European financial institutions in order to secure funding that will ease the energy transition process for the Western Balkans region, said Petar Đokić, Minister of Mining and Energy of the Government of Republika Srpska, at the Belgrade Energy Forum today.
“Energy transition is a demanding process for our enterprises and requires significant financial resources. We do not have the capacity to manage this alone, which is why we expect this process to be approached without any political prejudice—as a process that will, in the future, ensure energy security and sustainability, and contribute to successful economic growth on a broader scale,” Đokić said in a statement to the media.
He noted that Republika Srpska has, over the past years, made a significant contribution to raising awareness about the energy transition and has taken concrete steps in the area of legislation.
“We have adopted all the necessary laws regulating the energy sector, based on EU directives that are binding for countries aspiring to join the European Union,” Đokić stated.
According to him, their focus has also been directed toward the construction of new energy facilities whose primary source is green energy.
“We are building two hydroelectric power plants, several solar power plants, and a wind power plant. In terms of installed capacity, we have reached a level of 2,200 megawatts, which is exceptionally high, while the total investment value is around 5.5 billion convertible marks,” said Đokić.
The minister added that Bosnia and Herzegovina will soon establish an electricity exchange, making it compatible with other countries in the region.
Speaking at the Belgrade Energy Forum, Đokić stated that the transmission network of Republika Srpska is capable of receiving all the energy produced, provided that certain investments are made to ensure its stability.
“For this, we need partnerships that we expect to come from European financial institutions, the European Investment Bank, the World Bank, and other partners. These institutions are the carriers of many projects in the region and across Europe. However, political agendas often precede action in such institutions, preventing the alignment of all necessary activities,” Đokić added.
He warned that if institutions wait for all political issues to be resolved adequately, they will not be able to lead development in the coming period.
“In the absence of such support, we will be forced to look for alternative sources of financing for our projects,” Đokić stressed.
The third Belgrade Energy Forum gathered key leaders in the field of energy transition.
The forum’s institutional partners include the Ministry of Mining and Energy of Serbia, the Ministry of Energy and Mining of Republika Srpska, and the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia.
Source: Glas Srpske
