Energy Summit in Neum: It is important that BiH ensures its energy security and independence

The focus of the discussions will be on the progress of the reform agenda, security of natural gas supply and preconditions for increasing consumption, the role of women in the energy sector, and the financial requirements for a fair transition to a low-carbon economy.

Michael J. Murphy, US Ambassador to BiH, said it was crucial for BiH to ensure its energy security and independence.

He reminded that three years ago, representatives of the BiH authorities, together with representatives of the international community, signed a joint statement that it will address the most important problems in the country's energy sector and that BiH has made some progress since then, but still did not resolve some of the essential issues.

According to him, that includes the non-adoption of the state law related to energy, which holds the energy sector, economy and people in BiH hostage.

He further believes that BiH needs functional, efficient state institutions in which work will be achieved in order to achieve results.

“It's been a long time since the state should start working on that. BiH leaders have pledged to commit to a global process that includes making progress in the transition to clean energy, increasing energy efficiency, leading to new investments and creating new jobs. There is still a lot of work to be done in that area. The United States remained determined to support the BiH energy sector. I hope that the summit will start things that have been waiting for too long to be launched,” said the American Ambassador.

“We have passed a large number of gas stations with fuel prices that have risen, and this clearly shows us the importance of this topic today. We have seen in the last three weeks how harmful it is to be dependent on just few different energy sources and how important energy security is,” said Johann Sattler, Head of the EU Delegation and EU Special Representative, stressing the importance of joining the green transition.

Right now, the whole world is trying to reduce its excessive dependence on fossil fuels, and it is high time the Balkans and BiH joined the train towards a green transition, Sattler said.

Sattler added that in BiH, over 60 percent of energy is still produced from "dirty" sources (coal ...), about 30 percent comes from water resources, and only two percent from wind and solar power plants, and BiH certainly has the potential to make better use of it.

“We need, from the local authorities, to constantly adopt the national plan for climate and energy. We have made progress, but further work is needed. What I can promise, on behalf of the EU, is to stay with BiH. Last year a plan was adopted that provided 9 billion euros, part of which relates to energy transition projects,” said the EU Special Representative.

FBiH Minister of Energy, Mining and Industry Nermin Džindić emphasized the importance of the energy transition and drafting laws to make that transition even better.

“We have prepared a set of reform laws, the law on energy, the law on electricity, on energy efficiency, on the southern interconnection, and these are the key laws that will fulfill what Europe expects from us,” said the Minister.

“We hope that we will be able to reach an agreement with the state authorities and the authorities in the Republika Srpska,” said Džindić.

Matthew Field, Ambassador of the United Kingdom, stressed that the growth of energy and rising prices show that the energy sector is sensitive to external factors and that it is possible to move to cleaner and greener alternatives and that BiH has the capacity to use.

He believes that we should invest in them and increase their use, because switching to our own and cleaner alternatives would ensure, as he says, a cleaner and better life, and stability and prosperity of the population in BiH.

Margaret Uebber, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, agreed with him, adding that it is difficult to be dependent on just one or a few energy suppliers.

She points out that the challenge for all countries is to reduce dependence and make sure that consumers have security of energy supply without prices rising.

The transition to renewable energy sources, he adds, is a difficult and complex process that requires great political will.

According to leading experts, reliable production and energy supply will be crucial in many respects and will be one of the key factors for the development, security and sovereignty of economies, said Denis Zvizdić, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Ingrid Macdonald, UN Resident Coordinator, spoke about the global climate crisis, assessing that people and the environment in BiH are increasingly affected by the climate crisis, which, as she says, we saw last year with fires.

The solution, in her opinion, will require urgent global solidarity, and at the local level it is necessary to take urgent steps to move forward.

“More efficient energy use and a just socially responsible transition to cleaner and greener alternatives is crucial, and helping the economy and people switching from non-renewable to renewable energy must be at the heart of the effort,” Macdonald said.

The summit, which will run until Friday, March 25, is being implemented by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Energy Policy Activity (USAID EPA), then the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German government and the British Embassy in Sarajevo.

(FENA) A. B.

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