Serbia this week became the eighth European country to sign gas supply agreements with Azerbaijan. The two nations solidified nascent energy ties with Azerbaijan agreeing to export 400 million cubic meters of gas annually starting in 2024, Balkan Insight reports.
The agreement opens avenues for further cooperation, including the delivery of liquefied natural gas and joint efforts to develop gas power plants and storage facilities. Serbian energy minister Djedovic Handanovic noted that the completion of the Balkan Stream gas pipeline will enhance Serbia’s role as a transit country for gas supply to Central European nations.
This move marks a significant shift for Belgrade, which currently relies heavily on gas imports from Russia’s Gazprom. The flurry of deals with Baku over the past two years also highlights continued European energy insecurity as the pivot from Russian supplies set off a scramble to secure stable energy supplies.
EU energy integration proposals this week by some member states aimed to address the energy free-for all that has developed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, however observers do not expect such plans to come to fruition.
Comments