The Guardian: EU faces rising tensions with Trump over Balkan gas project

The EU could face rising tensions with Donald Trump over the Southern Interconnection gas pipeline project linking Bosnia and Herzegovina to Croatia’s LNG terminal.

The project is seen as a way to reduce the region’s dependence on Russian gas, the Guardian reports.

The European Commission has issued a warning urging a pause in awarding the contract, which could be granted to US-registered AAFS Infrastructure and Energy.

Sources familiar with the matter said the company is linked to Trump’s circle, does not disclose its ownership structure, and lacks confirmed experience in delivering large-scale infrastructure projects.

In March, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s parliament passed a law that critics say effectively enables the contract to be awarded without a tender.

In response, the EU’s representative in Sarajevo warned that such decisions could complicate the country’s EU integration process.

The project, valued at around $1.5 billion, has already become a source of political and lobbying disputes amid growing interest in regional energy routes and the EU’s efforts to phase out Russian gas by 2028.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov