Photo: Balkan Green Energy News
The energy crisis has sent a signal that energy security and the green transition must go hand in hand, Sanja Bozinovska, Minister of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources of North Macedonia, said at Belgrade Energy Forum 2026. She stressed that “Macedonia has fundamentally redefined its approach to energy – from passive market monitoring to active planning, investment, and development.”
The fourth edition of Belgrade Energy Forum, BEF 2026, has brought together about 500 participants. The two-day event, organized by Southeast Europe’s leading energy news portal, Balkan Green Energy News, was opened by Energy Community Secretariat Director Artur Lorkowski and Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović.
Speaking at the ministerial panel – Securing the Energy Transition in Southeast Europe: Cooperation, Resilience, Leadership – Sanja Božinovska pointed out that North Macedonia was no longer a passive observer of energy processes.
It is a country that is actively creating its own policies and positioning itself as a relevant and stable partner in the region, she added.
Božinovska noted that North Macedonia’s new Energy Law, passed in 2025, introduced systemic planning and a predictable framework for investors, significantly accelerating investments in renewable energy.
Solar electricity generation has increased almost 50-fold
Due to the Middle East war and the energy crisis, the country has only accelerated all procedures, she added.
According to Božinovska, electricity generation by solar power plants in North Macedonia has increased almost 50-fold since 2016.
As examples of a just energy transition, she highlighted projects to build photovoltaic plants at two coal mining and power generation complexes, REK Bitola and REK Oslomej.
These are also examples of transforming former coal facilities into sources of clean energy, she added.
Božinovska also highlighted the diversification of energy supplies and regional connectivity. North Macedonia is developing gas interconnections with Greece and Serbia, which will provide it with access to new natural gas sources and liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, while also strengthening power interconnections with neighboring countries, she stressed.
The country has already established a system for guarantees of origin for electricity
She noted that the country has already established a system for guarantees of origin for electricity, which will enable Macedonian firms to be more competitive and have easier access to the European market.
“Our vision is for Macedonia to become a country with a decarbonized, digitalized, and regionally integrated energy system, with significantly greater domestic production of clean energy. Regional cooperation today is not a choice, but a necessity for a stable and secure energy future,” Božinovska concluded.
At BEF 2026, she also held several bilateral meetings with representatives of regional institutions, companies, and international partners to discuss new investments and regional cooperation in the energy sector.
Speakers at the ministerial panel also included Admir Šahmanović, Minister of Energy and Mining of Montenegro, Petar Đokić, Minister of Energy and Mining of the Republic of Srpska, Vedran Lakić, Minister of Energy, Mining and Industry of the Federation of BiH, Elnur Soltanov, Deputy Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan, and Jovana Joksimović, Serbian Assistant Minister of Mining and Energy for International Cooperation and European Integration.
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