SHALAYEV: RUSSIA READY TO CONTINUE COOPERATION IN ENERGY SECTOR

JAHORINA, SEPTEMBER 25 /SRNA/ – Anton Shalayev, co-chair of the Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation of Russia, emphasized the importance of holding a session of the commission with BiH, noting that significant progress had been made since the previous meeting and stressing that Russia is ready to continue cooperation in the energy sector.

He said that the gathering of more than 20 representatives of line agencies, institutions, and organisations at the meeting on Jahorina confirmed the importance of the session. "The importance of this event is also confirmed by the practical results. Since our previous session, held in 2025, enormous progress has been achieved, as the figures speak for themselves. Exports of goods from BiH to the Russian Federation have increased, which is the positive trend that continued during the first six months of this year compared with the same period last year," Shalayev told the press. Shalayev emphasized that BiH-based enterprises and companies were primarily responsible for this progress, while the two sides, through the work of the commission, continuously seek to remove obstacles that could restrict mutual trade. As one concrete example, he cited the possibility of increasing deliveries of fruit from BiH to the Russian market. According to him, cooperation in the humanitarian sphere is also important, while cooperation in education has traditionally been developing, given that pupils and students from BiH travel to various educational institutions in the Russian Federation for classes and professional training. He called for this process to continue. Speaking about energy, Shalayev emphasized that the Russian Federation is a reliable supplier of gas and other energy resources to BiH and that there is a willingness to continue cooperation as well as open up new areas of cooperation. He particularly highlighted opportunities for cooperation in the production and use of compressed gas, describing it as an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solution that could also be important for the development of infrastructure, transportation, and public transit. "Russian companies are interested in cooperation with BiH. It is not crucial which entity the companies come from because we see BiH as a friendly country and a partner of the Russian Federation, one that has not joined anti-Russian sanctions. We see a partner that, I hope, recognizes the real results of our joint work," Shalayev said, adding that they are ready to further develop the partnership, make new investments, and implement joint projects. Shalayev said that the meeting today defined a number of tasks to be completed before the next meeting.