Serbian Ministry of Mining and Energy confirmed that Serbia is currently negotiating with partners from Azerbaijan about the quantities and the prices of natural gas it will be receiving through the gas interconnection between Serbia and Bulgaria.
The statement from the Ministry said that Serbia could receive the gas as soon as next year and adds that Serbia is also considering the possibility of reserving certain gas capacities at the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Alexandroupoli in northern Greece.
Earlier in March, Director of Srbijagas Dusan Bajatovic said that Serbia has already booked 300 million cubic meters of gas per year at the facility.
The construction of the gas interconnection with Bulgaria, which should enable a diversification of supply sources and a greater energy stability and free Serbia and the region of the dependence on Russian gas, will be completed before the beginning of the new heating season.
With the completion of the gas interconnection with Bulgaria, Serbia will get the option of connecting to gas sources coming from Greece, including gas from Azerbaijan and the Caspian Region and the LNG terminal in Greece, and that terminal can receive gas from the whole world, so Qatar, Norway or US companies could be among the suppliers.
The gas interconnector should change the energy situation in the whole region, which largely depends on Russian gas.