Photo: TanjugThe completion of the construction of this gas interconnector enabled the supply of gas from Azerbaijan to Southeast Europe. This network will also be connected to Serbia, which with the help of the European Union and the European Central Bank (EIB) has been building the Niš-Dimitrovgrad gas interconnector since January of this year. This will represent the beginning of the end of Serbia's almost complete dependence on Russian gas
On Saturday, Bulgaria and Greece launched a gas interconnector that will enable the import of gas from Azerbaijan to the region of Southeast Europe. With the help of the European Union, the two governments have been working for ten years on the construction of this network, which is one of the important steps on the way to reducing dependence on Russian gas.
The opening ceremony of the gas interconnector in Sofia was also attended by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić.
This gas interconnector will also be joined by Serbia, which with the help of the European Union and the European Central Bank (EIB) has been building the Niš-Dimitrovgrad gas interconnector since January this year. It is expected that the project could be completed next year.
According to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. today begins a "new era" for Bulgaria and the region of Southeast Europe.
"Bulgaria used to get 80% of its gas from Russia, before Russia decided to start this war against Ukraine and an energy war against Europe." This gas pipeline changes the rules of the game for Bulgaria and for energy security in Europe," said Von der Leyen.
Vučić said that he had a dilemma about how the president of the European Commission would treat him, probably referring to the fact that he is the president of the country that is the only one in the region that has not imposed sanctions on Russia, but also due to the fact that nothing has been done to diversify energy sources for years.
He says he felt like "a black sheep in the company of these great friends." Vučić nevertheless thanked von der Leyen because she helped Serbia a lot when it comes to the construction of the interconnector between Serbia and Bulgaria.
Although the diversification of energy sources was something that the European Union insisted on for years, and which is ultimately beneficial for Serbia, the construction of the Niš-Dimitrovgrad gas interconnector was delayed for a long time. For more than four years, there were announcements that the works would begin. It is an open secret that the Russian factor in the company Srbijagas, led by high-ranking SPS official Dušan Bajatović, influenced the delay in the construction of this network, in order to protect the interests of Russia and Russian Gazprom.
Serbia is currently completely dependent on Russian gas. According to the data of the Energy Agency, only 13 percent of gas needs are met from domestic production, and everything else is imported exclusively from Russia. Most of the gas arrangements with the Russian state company Gazprom are not known to the public.
Even before the war, Azerbaijani gas was crucial on the European market, and with the completion of this network, it will now be available to Bulgaria, one of the countries that depended on Russian gas the most.
As announced, during this year gas export from Azerbaijan will increase to 22 billion cubic meters, and half of that amount will go to the European market. This was also agreed in a memorandum of understanding with the European Commission in July of this year, and the plan is for Azerbaijan to double its export of natural gas to Europe by 2027.
SP/RTS / RSE
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