Page 14 - EurOil Week 46 2022

EurOil POLICY EurOil

Western Balkan politicians call for

more co-operation in energy sector

WEST BALKANS POLITICIANS from the Western Balkans dis- Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said the
cussed ways to increase co-operation in the event was a “really necessary meeting in these
Politicians discussed energy sector at a high-level regional conference times of war, when bombs and wounds hit
increased energy in Belgrade on November 17. somewhere in Ukraine, but where the energy
cooperatin at a high-levl The focus of the conference, attended by top crisis plus war inflation have hit everywhere in
regional conference in officials from five of the six countries, was on Europe, and beyond, including our countries.”
Belgrade. renewable energy but covered the broader topic “I have no doubt that in these difficult times,
of energy security. It took place after months what we said before when we started the Open
during which the countries in the region have Balkans and when we called for a wider regional
been struggling with high energy prices that co-operation, [it] becomes more and more obvi-
have soared since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine ous, we need to regionalise our markets and how
in February. it comes to energy, we need to go beyond our
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic talked borders because otherwise we still remain small
of the need for “numerous reforms” in the field markets,” said Rama, an Albanian government
of energy, as well as changes in habits and “huge statement said.
investments”. Andreas Eriksen, special envoy of the prime
“This year it was established that there are minister of Norway for energy, also stressed the
deep, essential problems in Serbia, not only need for regional co-operation as “crucial” for
when it comes to the diversification of gas and solving problems in the energy sector.
oil supply, but also when it comes to old tech- Eriksen pointed out that the war in Ukraine
nologies in thermal power plants,” the president has brought uncertainty about the supply of
acknowledged. As well as investing into renew- Russian gas, which affects both households and
ables, Serbia also needs to invest into its trans- industry, a Serbian government statement said.
mission systems – gas interconnectors and oil The event was organised by the Norwegian
pipelines, he said. embassies in Belgrade and Sarajevo, in co-op-
The conference was attended by the prime eration with the Nordic Business Alliance, the
ministers of Albania, Montenegro and North Norway-BiH Business Association and Nor-
Macedonia, and the chairman of Bosnia & Her- wegian partners for co-operation in the field of
zegovina’s Council of Ministers. energy.™

P14 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 46 21•November•2022