BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb.4
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
Southern Gas Corridor will enhance liquidity in North Macedonia’s market, North Macedonia’s Minister of Economy Kreshnik Bekteshi said in an exclusive interview with Trend.
He noted that one of the principal priorities of the Macedonian government in the energy sector is connected with need to ensure the national goal of security of energy supplies and to tackle any unexpected event, which might jeopardise the reliability and security of energy supplies.
“On Macedonian territory there are neither indigenous natural gas resources nor a gas storage facility and all gas is imported from Russia (via Bulgaria and Turkey) through a single transmission line that crosses the Bulgarian border at Deve Bair. According the Strategy for Energy Development the country has taken activities to ensure the long-term objectives on the development of particular energy activities, for the purpose of ensuring security in the supply of different types of energy. Also the connection of the Macedonian energy systems to the energy systems of other countries and the inclusion of the Macedonian energy markets in the regional and international energy markets is of crucial importance and the Southern Gas Corridor will have an important impact on our market and security of supply,” said the minister.
Bekteshi noted that for this purpose, the country has joined the CESEC Initiative which aims to promote the diversification of natural gas supply and security of supply in the region by enhancing the regional infrastructure and improving the integration of markets through joint engagement of all EU Member States and of the Parties to the Energy Community.
“By construction of the gas interconnector with Greece we will connect to the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) through Greece. This connection would have the advantage of providing an alternative supplier – that of Azerbaijani gas from the Shah Deniz field in the Caspian basin and bring the natural gas to the citizens of North Macedonia and to business. Bringing natural gas from different sources the citizens and businesses will have access to more reliable, secure and competitive natural gas. Also this will contribute for protection of environment and air quality,” he said.
The minister noted that This Southern gas corridor will have impact on facilitation of natural gas trade between two countries, enable further development of the gas transmission network of the Republic of North Macedonia in addition will enhance security of supply and liquidity of the gas market in the Republic of North Macedonia and increase the degree of utilization of the gas transmission infrastructure of the Republic of North Macedonia and other neighbouring countries.
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