Energy Minister: Bosnia & Herzegovina Belongs in Open Balkans

Zorana Mihajlovic (BETAPHOTO/MINISTRY of MINING and ENERGY/ZORAN PETROVIC)

Zorana Mihajlovic, Serbia’s minister of mining and energy, has said that regional cooperation and collaboration in the production and supply of electrical power – particularly via the Open Balkans initiative – can enhance the standard of living in the region and, as such, should take precedence over day-to-day political issues.

“This region needs unity – and that’s why I believe Bosnia and Herzegovina belongs in the Open Balkans. [This initiative] is not a new Yugoslavia, as some have claimed. Rather, it’s about keeping our own people from leaving for other European countries, about keeping them here. It’s up to us to focus on the economy and standard of living, because that issue stands above politics,” Mihajlovic said in Sarajevo, where she is attending the second annual Energy Community Just Transition Forum on July 12.

In an interview for the Republika Srpska Radio-TV station, the minister expressed her hope that 2023 will see the launch of the Buk Bijela Hydropower Plant project and that ground will finally be broken for the Trebinje Airport. Mihajlovic also recalled that Serbia and Republika Srpska share joint projects worth over EUR1.5 billion.

Minister Mihajlovic concluded that energy transition is an irrevocable process and that sustainable energy sources are the only way to ensure a stable and independent power supply for the country.