A little-known company with ties to figures close to United States President Donald Trump is close to securing energy contracts worth over $1 billion in the Balkans, according to an investigation published by The Guardian.
This is AAFS Infrastructure and Energy, a company that is aiming to obtain the concession for the construction and operation of the Southern Interconnection gas pipeline in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a project that aims to replace Russian gas supplies with natural gas imported from the United States.
According to the British newspaper, the company has no known history of carrying out infrastructure projects of this scale, but has direct ties to people close to Trump.
Among its representatives are American lawyer Jesse Binnall, known for his legal defense of Trump and his family in political matters, as well as Joe Flynn, brother of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.
Both have been involved in efforts to challenge the outcome of the 2020 US presidential election.
The Guardian writes that US officials have made it clear to Bosnian authorities that the Trump administration strongly supports the project and AAFS’s involvement in it.
The investigation argues that the case reflects a new pattern of combining foreign policy with the private interests of people close to the US administration.
At the center of the project is the Southern Interconnection gas pipeline, an initiative that has been supported by Washington for years to reduce Bosnia’s dependence on Russian gas and Moscow’s influence in the region.
According to documents obtained by the newspaper, the project includes around 300 million euros in investment for the gas pipeline and around another 900 million euros for three power plants, bringing the total value to approximately 1.2 billion euros.
Another element that has sparked debate is the fact that legislation passed in Bosnia in March provides for AAFS to be the contractor for the project, without a competitive bidding procedure.
The organization Transparency International warned that such a practice, in a country with high levels of corruption, could have “catastrophic consequences” for strategic projects of this nature.
The investigation also links the developments to Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, who according to the newspaper has intensified efforts to build bridges with the Trump administration.
According to The Guardian, after the lifting of US sanctions against him and contacts with figures close to the US president, Dodik has signaled that he will not block the energy project.
For now, the project remains in the negotiation phase, but according to the British newspaper, AAFS seems closer than ever to taking control of one of the most important energy projects in the Western Balkans.