President of the Republic of Srpska and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary participated in the panel “Energy Stability and Energy Independence in the Region”

The President of the Republic of Srpska Milorad Dodik and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary Péter Szijjártó participated in the Trebinje Energy Summit on the panel “Energy Stability and Energy Independence in the Region”.

The President of the Republic of Srpska stated that Srpska wants Hungary as a partner in future projects in the field of energy, such as the construction of the hydroelectric power plant “Mrsovo” on the Lim River and the thermal power plant “Ugljevik Tri”.

“We are working on the “Mrsovo” hydroelectric power plant, which has about 50 megawatts, and we are getting close to providing all the conditions to build the “Ugljevik Tri” thermal power plant, which is being built in two phases of 300 megawatts each. That is why we want a partnership with Hungary and we are talking about it”, said the President Dodik.

The President of the Republic assessed that this partnership will provide secure sources of financing, and that both investments have construction permits.

“In the coming weeks, we will discuss how we will model our relationship. We want to see Hungary as a co-owner in the new future energy projects”, said the President Dodik.

Speaking about Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s idea of forming a specific regional energy community, said the President of the Republic of Srpska that this idea implies the connection and exchange of part of the ownership in their own power companies.

“They would exchange and put people on the management boards, that is, the supervisory boards, so that we could cooperate in the right way. The stock market will remain an irreplaceable form of electricity trading, whatever that idea may be. The Prime Minister of Srpska Radovan Višković is in charge of working out models of functioning on behalf of Srpska and working with people from Hungary on that issue”, said the President of Srpska.

The President of the Republic of Srpska said that Srpska is in a good position in the field of electricity, but that the diversification of sources of electricity production must be ensured in order to maintain such a situation.

“We have to be cheaper, faster, have more energy, to provide our population with the cheapest energy in the region and our economy with enough energy that it needs and deliver it at the right time”, said the President of the Republic.

The President Dodik said that the Republic of Srpska wants to see Hungarian businessmen in Srpska, and that there are already good examples of such cooperation.

The President of the Republic of Srpska added that Srpska is not dependent on gas, but he pointed out that the BiH level creates difficulties when it comes to the construction of the eastern gas interconnection towards Banja Luka.

“Two gas-fired power plants with a power of 600 megawatts each should be built within the pipeline. We are just waiting for one small thing, and that is for the Muslim side in Sarajevo to overcome its vanity and corrupt intentions towards us and only allow that gas pipeline to pass on that border line under the Drina towards Banja Luka”, said the President Dodik.

The President of the Republic of Srpska said that there is an agreement with the new government at the BiH level to put the issue on the agenda, and that the Republic of Srpska will insist on it.