Athens, 14 May 2026 (MIA) - At a panel discussion at the Energy Transition Summit: East Med & Southeast Europe held in Athens, participants stressed on Thursday the importance of regional connectivity as a key to energy stability for the wider region, as well as the energy projects being implemented by each country. Among the participants was Minister of Energy, Mining, and Mineral Resources, Sonja Bozhinovska, who pointed out that greater regional integration and interconnection are needed. She also addressed the current situation in the Middle East, stressing that if the war does not end soon, the entire world will be affected, MIA’s Athens correspondent reports.

Energy ministers from Serbia, Albania, Georgia, Moldova, North Macedonia, and Greece participated in Thursday’s ministerial panel “Delivering 2030: Leadership commitments for the Energy Transition” held as part of the conference organized by the Financial Times and Kathimerini. 

Minister Bozhinovska spoke in detail about energy projects being implemented. She touched upon the interconnector with Greece, noting that it is expected to be completed in 2027, as well as the interconnector with Serbia, which is expected to be fully functional by the end of 2027, ensuring the country becomes a transit country for natural gas.

“We all agree on the need for more connectivity, more regional cooperation. As an EU candidate country, we have, I would say, homework assigned by the EU to complete as part of the Reform Agenda,” Bozhinovska said.

She said market coupling – i.e., coupling with the electricity markets of EU member states – is of great significance for the country, and it will be coupled with Greece.

“We need more discussions like this, more meetings, and greater regional integration,” Bozhinovska said. 

Regarding the situation in the Middle East, Bozhinovska clarified the Government’s measures for dealing with the consequences, stressing that it has so far done a good job and a crisis in the country has been avoided. At the same time, she expressed hope that the “issue with Iran will be resolved soon; otherwise, the entire world will be affected”.

“We are seeing that some EU countries, such as Slovenia and Germany, are already having problems. I think North Macedonia was among the first three countries according to IMF criteria regarding the adopted measures. We have the lowest prices in the region, at the borders we see increases of around 30 percent of arrivals from Greece and Albania to stock up on fuel. We have reserves for about two months, but if this war doesn’t end, I think there will be significant consequences for all countries. And if the price of fuel rises, all other prices will rise too. I think so far the Government has done a good job, we haven’t had a crisis or anything similar,” the Minister stressed, expressing hope that the issue will be resolved soon. 

On the sidelines of the conference in Athens, the Minister also had a brief meeting with the Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis.

Photo: MIA