The pipeline will cover about 60% of annual gas needs

Serbia on Sunday completed the construction of a gas interconnector with Bulgaria, a strategic move that allows the country to diversify its gas supplies and reduce its dependence on russia. The new interconnector has a capacity of 1.8 billion cubic metres per year and stretches over a distance of 170 kilometres, connecting Novi Iskar near Sofia and the town of Nis in Serbia. It will facilitate Belgrade's access to alternative sources of gas, including from Azerbaijan and the liquefied gas terminal at Alexandroupolis, Greece.

The pipeline will cover about 60% of Serbia's annual gas needs and is a significant step towards diversifying energy resources. The European Commission supported the project with a grant of €49.6 million and the European Investment Bank provided a loan of €25 million. Serbia also contributed €22.5 million. Serbian Energy Minister, Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic underlined the importance of this interconnector in providing alternative sources of gas supply in the context of the changing European energy market, Agerpres reports.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, as well as the leaders of Azerbaijan and Bulgaria. The project has a regional impact, changing Europe's energy map and strengthening good neighbourly relations. Serbia recently signed an agreement with Azerbaijan to purchase 400 million cubic metres of gas annually from 2024.