Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia have signed an agreement in Dubrovnik for the construction of the Southern Gas Interconnection, a strategic energy project intended to connect the gas networks of the two countries and strengthen regional energy security.
The agreement was signed by Borjana Krišto, Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on the sidelines of the Three Seas Initiative Summit. The signing followed a fast-tracked series of decisions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the necessary institutional approvals were completed in a short period of time.
Earlier in the day, members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina approved the proposal for the agreement shortly after a session of the Council of Ministers, clearing the way for the document to be formally signed.
However, the signing does not mean the project can immediately move into implementation. The agreement must still be approved and ratified by both chambers of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while the Croatian side must also complete its own approval process through the Government of Croatia.
Although the political procedures have been accelerated, the project still faces one of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s most sensitive legal and political issues: state property. Part of the planned pipeline route is expected to pass through land classified as state property, where disposal and management remain restricted until the country reaches a final settlement on the issue.
The question of state property has been unresolved for years and remains one of the most complex internal disputes in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is not only important for this pipeline, but also for broader infrastructure development and the functioning of state institutions.
If the remaining legal and political challenges are resolved, construction of the Southern Gas Interconnection is expected to be completed by 2028.
The project is also expected to bring significant changes to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s energy sector. According to current plans, three major gas-fired power plants would be developed within seven years after the pipeline is completed, with facilities planned in Kakanj, Mostar and Tuzla.
Supporters of the project see it as a major step toward diversifying energy supply and reducing dependence on a single gas route. Still, its success will depend not only on regional cooperation with Croatia, but also on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s ability to resolve internal legal questions that have delayed major infrastructure projects for years.
