Djedovic Handanovic: Agreement on gas imports signed with Azerbaijan

BAKU - The energy ministries of Serbia and Azerbaijan signed on Wednesday a MoU on deepening bilateral relations in the energy sector and a commercial agreement between the gas companies Srbijagas and SOCAR under which Azerbaijan will supply up to 400 mln cubic m of natural gas to Serbia by end-2024.

In a statement, the Serbian Ministry of Mining and Energy said the agreements had been signed during Minister Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic's visit to Baku.

"With today's signing of the MoU, we have deepened Serbia's bilateral cooperation with Azerbaijan in the energy sector and secured gas supplies from that country in quantities of up to 400 mln cubic m of gas a year until 2026 and, after that, we can get supplies of as much as 1 bln cubic m of gas from this country," Djednovic Handanovic said after the signing of the documents.

She added that the two countries maintained strategic cooperation thanks to the friendly relationship and mutual respect between their presidents, Aleksandar Vucic and Ilham Aliyev.

She said that, once the construction of a gas interconnector with Bulgaria was complete, Serbia would have Azerbaijan as another supplier of natural gas.

"Following the completion of the Balkan Stream gas pipeline, which has ensured additional security and opened up a new supply route, we are now accomplishing the strategic goal of diversifying our suppliers, and we are boosting further our position as a transit country for gas supplies to central European countries. We expect the Serbia-Bulgaria gas interconnector to be completed in the coming days, whereby the infrastructure prerequisites for getting a new gas supply source will be met as well," Djedovic Handanovic said.

She said the MoU also created opportunities for bilateral cooperation when it comes to LNG supplies via terminals in Turkey and Greece as well as potential cooperation in development of capabilities to build gas-fired power plants and gas storage facilities.

Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov said Serbia was now Azerbaijan's "new partner in diversification of the European gas market."

"Based on gas supplies to Serbia, the number of countries that will be receiving Azerbaijani gas has now risen to eight. That is a clear indicator that Azerbaijan is expanding its mission and has the role of a dependable energy partner that is increasingly contributing to energy security," Shahbazov said.