EU Ready to Invest Further in Bulgaria-Serbia Gas Link

The European Union is prepared to make additional investments in the Bulgaria-Serbia gas interconnection, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen assured during her visit to Belgrade on October 15.

Von der Leyen is currently touring the Western Balkans, having already visited Kosovo and Serbia. Speaking at a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, she stressed that it is time for Serbia to clearly express its commitment to EU accession. She also called for progress in the areas of rule of law, electoral reform, and media freedom.

"We want to count on Serbia as a reliable partner," von der Leyen said, urging Belgrade to impose sanctions on Moscow.

Amid the US sanctions on Russia, which have significantly affected Serbia’s oil sector, and with the Belgrade-Moscow gas contract expiring at the end of the year, von der Leyen highlighted the solidarity the EU could provide.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission:
"We are connecting Serbia to the EU energy market. This is the true guarantee that Serbian households will remain safe and warm throughout the winter. There are concrete projects underway, such as the Trans-Balkan Energy Corridor, which links Serbia’s network with its neighbors and the EU, and the Serbia-Bulgaria gas interconnection. We are ready to invest further. We have also invited Serbia to join the EU’s joint gas procurement mechanism, so that together we can leverage our collective market power to secure better energy prices."

Following Serbia, von der Leyen visited North Macedonia, where she met with Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski ahead of the local elections on Sunday.

"You need to implement the agreed constitutional amendment," von der Leyen told her host.