Today in Banja Luka (Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina) Alexander Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee and Milorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska signed a Roadmap to implement energy projects in Republika Srpska within the South Stream project.

The document outlines a sequence of actions for proving the feasibility of constructing and subsequently operating a gas branch from South Stream to Republika Srpska as part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as constructing gas-fired generating facilities in Republika Srpska.

The Roadmap takes into account the need to sign an intergovernmental agreement of cooperation between Russia and Bosnia and Herzegovina when building and operating the gas branch and gas-fired generating facilities.

In due course the parties intend to agree on the basic terms of commercial natural gas supplies to Republika Srpska via the South Stream gas pipeline and to perform a feasibility study for the construction and operation of the gas branch as well as a feasibility study for the construction of gas-fired generating facilities.

Background

For the purpose of diversifying the natural gas export routes Gazprom plans to construct a gas pipeline across the Black Sea to Southern and Central Europe – South Stream.

Intergovernmental agreements are signed with Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Greece, Slovenia and Croatia in order to build the onshore gas pipeline section.

In September 2012 Gazprom and Republika Srpska signed the Memorandum of Understanding for mutually beneficial partnership and cooperation between the parties. The Memorandum envisages possible construction of a gas branch from South Stream to Republika Srpska and gasification of the population centers along its route. The document also expresses the parties' interest in the development of power generation projects, including the conversion of existing power plants in Republika Srpska to natural gas.