Talks in Sarajevo advance Southern Gas Interconnection project

A series of meetings were held in Sarajevo this week on the Southern Gas Interconnection, a strategic pipeline that would link Bosnia and Herzegovina to Croatia’s gas network.

Participants included representatives of the U.S. Embassy, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a technical working group, and U.S. companies interested in the project. The parties agreed on further steps to accelerate implementation.

“They presented what they do, their expertise, and their interests,” said Darijana Filipović, a member of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s House of Representatives. “From our side, as political representatives in government, we explained that the Southern Gas Interconnection is of strategic importance for Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially for Croats. We are open to all discussions, and it is in our interest to speed up the project.”

U.S. officials presented the option for an American company to develop, build, and operate the pipeline. Among the potential partners is U.S. engineering giant Bechtel, whose representatives have been in Sarajevo since Thursday to assess conditions for possible involvement. Other companies have also expressed interest.

The U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo said Bechtel representatives met with U.S. Chargé d’Affaires John Ginkel, who has also hosted executives from AAFS Infrastructure and Energy. Both companies are consulting with Bosnian politicians and government officials on the conditions for building the pipeline.

The Southern Gas Interconnection would run from Zagvozd in Croatia, via Posušje, to Bosnia and Herzegovina, linking the country to Croatia’s existing gas network and providing access to the LNG terminal on the island of Krk.

The government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina this week took its first concrete steps to revive the project, which had stalled after the Federation’s parliament passed enabling legislation in January 2025.