A company based in Sarajevo is nearing approval for a concession to build and operate a regional gas pipeline project valued at more than $1 billion, an investment designed to bring U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the Balkans and reduce the region’s dependence on Russian energy supplies.
According to an investigation by Britain’s Guardian newspaper, AAFS Infrastructure and Energy, a company registered in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital, is in advanced negotiations over a project that could become one of the largest energy investments in the country’s recent history.
Sources familiar with the discussions described the initiative as a strategic infrastructure project with potentially far-reaching implications for regional energy security and Western efforts to counter Russian influence in Southeast Europe.
The investigation raises questions about the company’s links to individuals connected to the family and business circles of U.S. President Donald Trump, underscoring growing scrutiny over the intersection of foreign policy objectives and private commercial interests.
The planned pipeline forms part of broader Western efforts to diversify energy supplies across the Balkans following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which accelerated moves to reduce dependence on Russian gas throughout Europe.
Supporters argue that the project would strengthen regional energy security by creating alternative supply routes and increasing access to global LNG markets.
Critics, however, warn that the concession process could raise concerns over transparency, political influence and the role of well-connected private actors in major strategic infrastructure projects.
The proposal comes at a time when Washington is expanding its economic and energy engagement in the Western Balkans, while regional governments seek to balance competing influences from the United States, the European Union, Russia and China.
No final decision on the concession has yet been announced, but the project is already being viewed as one of the most significant energy and geopolitical developments in the Balkans in the coming years.