Photo: Ministry of Environment and Energy
Minister of Environment and Energy of Greece Stavros Papastavrou said that Serbia, because of its regional significance, can’t be left out of the blueprint for the Vertical Gas Corridor for American gas. After a meeting with Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović, he stressed that his country has positioned itself as an energy gateway for Southeastern and Central Europe. They also discussed the possibilities of cooperation in the nuclear energy segment.
Minister of Mining and Energy of Serbia Dubravka Đedović Handanović spoke in Belgrade with Minister of Environment and Energy of Greece Stavros Papastavrou. Following their meeting, she pointed out that Serbia is planning gas interconnections with North Macedonia and Romania for more than four billion cubic meters in total per year.
Works on the link with North Macedonia are beginning this year, and it will come online in early 2028, she asserted. The planned capacity of the link, which would further extend to Greece, is 1.5 billion cubic meters.
“That way we will get another supply route through which gas can come to Serbia from different sources, including the TANAP gas pipeline and LNG terminals in Greece. The goal is to have more gas supply options and greater energy security, for which it is crucial we stay interconnected within the region, work in a coordinated manner, and regularly exchange information to build the necessary infrastructure as quickly as possible,” Đedović Handanović stated.
The ministers agreed that it is essential to strengthen cooperation and coordination between Serbia, Greece, North Macedonia, and Bulgaria in the energy sector, for the region’s security of supply.
HELLENiQ Petroleum helped keep Serbian fuel market stable
Đedović Handanović recalled that Serbian state-owned gas supplier Srbijagas has booked 300 million cubic meters of gas per year at the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Alexandroupolis in Greece, for a 10-year period.
She expressed gratitude to petrol station chain operator EKO Serbia of the HELLENiQ Petroleum group – part of HELLENiQ Energy – which significantly increased imports of oil derivatives last year. The minister stressed that it contributed to market stability amid the sanctions-related challenges for Serbian oil company NIS.
“Like us, Greece relied on coal for a long time, but today it generates 55% of its electricity from renewable energy sources. Our goal for 2030 is to have 3.5 GW of installed RES capacity and 45% of electricity production from renewables. We are carefully planning the development of this sector, including investments in the transmission grid to maintain supply stability. Greece’s experiences will be very significant for us on that path,” Đedović Handanović said.
Verification process underway for power market coupling with EU
According to her, Serbia has completed all the important steps for electricity market coupling with the European Union, and a verification process by European institutions is currently underway.
“We will be the first non-member country to enter the EU electricity market. We will first conduct market coupling with Hungary, and I hope the EU completes the verification process as soon as possible, for which Greece’s support is important to us,” she added.
Enhanced bilateral cooperation holding broader significance for Southeastern Europe
The two officials also discussed cooperation in nuclear energy, concluding that both countries recognize its potential for enhancing energy security in a transition period, the Serbian ministry’s readout reveals.
“Energy cooperation between Serbia and Greece, which we have been steadily building in recent months, holds broader significance for Southeastern Europe as it contributes to the integration and connectivity of the entire region. This is why we strongly support Serbia’s European path… We choose to cooperate, to create greater security, connectivity and trust, and to build a new regional energy architecture that will give the Balkans a geopolitical advantage,” said Papastavrou.
Papastavrou: We choose to cooperate, to create greater security, connectivity and trust, and to build a new regional energy architecture that will give the Balkans a geopolitical advantage
He added that in recent years, Greece has established itself as an energy gateway for Southeastern and Central Europe through its LNG infrastructure and pipelines. The country is planning the Vertical Gas Corridor, which would carry American gas to countries in the region, Papastavrou underscored, per the Serbian ministry.
“The Vertical Corridor is an artery of development, progress and stability. Serbia cannot be left out of this blueprint, because it plays a key role in the region. Therefore, we support accelerating Serbia’s European Union accession process and believe it is necessary to speed up the procedures that will bring it where it belongs – into the EU,” the minister said.
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