Thessaloniki, 10 September 2021 (MIA) – The construction of the interconnector with Greece will give us the opportunity to position ourselves as a regional hub for gas supply of the countries in the region of Southeast Europe, North Macedonia’s Deputy PM for Economic Affairs Fatmir Bytyqi told a panel within the Southeast Europe Energy Forum 2021, held in Thessaloniki on Friday, MIA’s Athens correspondent reports. On the sidelines of the Southeast Europe Energy Forum 2021, organized by the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and the Hellenic Association for Energy Economics, the national gas transmission companies in North Macedonia (NER) and in Greece ( DESFA), signed a cooperation agreement for development and construction of natural gas interconnector between the two countries. According to Bytyqi, “this agreement defines the conditions for cooperation and the time frame for construction.” “This is one of our key projects. The construction of this interconnector will open many possibilities for the two countries, and not just for them. It will give us the opportunity to position ourselves as a regional hub for gas supply of the countries in the region of Southeast Europe and beyond, and for our national economy  it will mean diversified energy supply and enhance competitiveness,” Bytyqi said, adding that interconnectors with Kosovo, Serbia and Albania are also planned. He pointed out that this shows that “investing today in safer, competitive, cheaper, and more environmentally-friendly energy supply will mean investing in our future.” He also mentioned the other project with Greece, i.e. the signed agreement for cooperation for construction of the gas terminal in Alexandropoulos, where North Macedonia will participate with 10% of the shares for the terminal, and at the same time participate in the ownership of a gas power plant in the vicinity of Alexandropoulos with 25% share. “We have proven that it is possible to cooperate, that there is no irreconcilable gap and that through dialogue, mutual respect, understanding and cooperation each challenge can be resolved. These strategic projects, of great importance for the whole region and supported by our partners EU and NATO, are a standing proof of it,” Bytyqi pointed out. He noted that the two countries have recently agreed that in the Q1 of 2022 the pipeline for refined oil distribution between Thessaloniki and Skopje will be put in place, which is “an additional joint effort which shows the visionary approach of North Macedonia and the Hellenic Republic where geopolitical positions are used wisely in increasing the competitiveness and economic well-being of the citizens in both countries.” Commenting on the energy policies in North Macedonia, he pointed out that the new Energy Law is fully aligned with EU regulations, as well as with the Energy Union, which is transposed in the new Energy Development Strategy up to 2040 and the National Plan for Climate and Energy, that is pending adoption. He pointed out that the “energy community has praised our efforts and commitment we have done in the energy sector as we are the first country in the Western Balkans to do so.” According to Bytyqi, the Government of North Macedonia has adopted  Interventive Investment Plan, which for a mid-term period, until 2027, envisages realization of investments in the amount of EUR 8.2 billion. “The total investments mostly focus on energy projects with a level of EUR 3.1 billion. This proves our focus on transitioning to green energy. This is followed by EUR 2.7 billion in road and railway infrastructure which serves as an example that we are committed to building connections with our neighbors and providing conditions for better competitiveness of both North Macedonia and the whole Western Balkans region,” said Deputy PM Bytyqi.