The Territorial Ministerial Meeting on Energy and Interconnectivity in Southeast Europe, with the participation of Greece, Serbia, Northern Macedonia and Bulgaria.
Southeast Europe should play a more active role in shaping the future architecture of the European energy system through deeper cooperation, stronger interconnections and greater integration of markets, the joint press release issued after the meeting of the energy ministers of Greece, Serbia, North Macedonia and Bulgaria held today in Athens said. It is also stressed that energy security, price affordability and resilience are not exclusively national priorities, but shared European and regional responsibilities.
The joint statement reads as follows:
“Today, the Ministers and representatives responsible for energy issues of the Hellenic Republic, the Republic of Serbia, the Republic of North Macedonia and the Republic of Bulgaria met in Athens to discuss the future of regional energy cooperation and connectivity in South-Eastern Europe.
At a time of continued geopolitical uncertainty and volatility in international energy markets, the Ministers reaffirmed that energy security, price affordability and resilience are no longer exclusively national priorities, but shared European and regional responsibilities. They underlined that South-East Europe should play a more active role in shaping the future architecture of the European energy system through deeper cooperation, stronger interconnections and greater integration of markets.
The Ministers acknowledged the significant progress Europe has made in recent years in strengthening its energy security, diversifying routes and sources of supply and accelerating the clean energy transition. At the same time, they stressed that significant challenges remain, in particular in ensuring that all regions of Europe benefit equally from a truly integrated, interconnected and competitive Energy Union.
In this context, the Ministers highlighted the strategic importance of regional cooperation between neighbouring countries as a catalyst to promote infrastructure interconnectivity, integration of electricity and gas markets, system flexibility and security of supply. They welcomed closer coordination between Transmission System Operators and encouraged all stakeholders to intensify efforts to remove remaining barriers to cross-border integration and facilitate investment in critical energy infrastructure.
Ministers also discussed the impact of the ongoing instability in the region and the Middle East on international energy markets, recognizing the importance of coordinated actions to enhance resilience to supply disruptions and price fluctuations. They underlined that enhanced regional interconnectivity contributes not only to energy security, but also to price stability, competitiveness and the successful integration of renewable energy sources.
The participants reaffirmed their common ambition to work towards a more interconnected, resilient and future-oriented regional energy framework, aligned with the broader objectives of the European Energy Union.
They agreed that Southeast Europe can and should become a pillar of stability, cooperation and strategic connectivity for the wider European continent.”
