Skopje, 17 November 2022 (MIA) - The Republic of North Macedonia, as a country of the Western Balkans that is committed to prosperity and development, is intensively working to ensure energy stability and independence, for which it has adopted measures and models in the short and long term, as well as a new Strategy for Investments in Green Energy, said PM Dimitar Kovachevski addressing regional conference on “Investment opportunities in renewable energy in the Western Balkans” in Belgrade on Thursday. PM Kovachevski underscored that North Macedonia is committed on ensuring energy stability in the conditions of the global energy crisis, for which it has a short-term plan that has been successfully implemented so far by activating all domestic electricity generation capacities. But, as he added, the country also has a long-term plan with which we strive for decarbonization and directing towards production of energy from wind, sun and water. “The Republic of North Macedonia is the first country in the Western Balkans region to adopt the Energy Development Strategy in 2019, based on the pillars of the EU Green Deal. We are the first country to implement a project to replace an old coal-fired thermal power plant in Oslomej, Kichevo, where we are already building a 120 MW solar power plant on the site of a former lignite mine. This is a concrete step towards the energy transition of North Macedonia and shows a strong will for the decarbonization of our energy sector, and thus the decarbonization of our economy,” PM Kovachevski added. He noted that the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia like no other until now invests in energy and in projects that will only bring benefits in the medium and long term. This, as he underlined, is seen in the country's commitment to the energy transition, because it is the future for the country's energy independence, but also for the entire region and for environmental protection. The goal of the conference is to strengthen cooperation in the development of capacities for renewable energy in the countries of the Western Balkans that need to ensure energy independence. Regional conference on “Investment opportunities in renewable energy in the Western Balkans” is organized by the Royal Norwegian Embassies in Sarajevo and Belgrade and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, in cooperation with the Nordic Business Alliance, Norway-BiH Business Association and partners for cooperation in the area of energy.