Bozhinovska in Zagreb: Gas Interconnector With Greece by Mid-2027, With Serbia by 2028
At the CESEC ministerial meeting the minister said energy security and diversification are no longer only strategic options, but a “necessity”.
Zagreb – North Macedonia will be connected by gas to Greece by mid-2027 and to Serbia by 2028. That was announced by Minister of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources Sanja Bozhinovska at the ministerial meeting of the Central and South Eastern Europe Energy Connectivity initiative (CESEC) in Zagreb on November 6.
Both projects are part of the Vertical Gas Corridor, an initiative that links gas networks from Greece in the south towards Central and Eastern Europe. According to Bozhinovska, that makes North Macedonia “an important part of the regional infrastructure for diversifying supply”.
“Regional connectivity and joint investments are key to stable supply,” she said. The strongest message was about security: “Energy security and diversification are no longer only strategic options, but a necessity.”
The meeting focused on regional energy connectivity and preparedness for climate challenges. Bozhinovska added that “climate resilience must become the third pillar of energy security”, alongside security of supply and affordable prices, and that energy systems are needed that are “not only connected and efficient”.
On reforms, the minister spoke about alignment with EU rules for a transparent and competitive gas market. The topics of discussion also included the effects of electrification, renewable energy sources and the hydrogen strategy.
By the editorial calculation, if the pipeline with Greece is ready by mid-2027, that is about eight months from today. The Serbian link, scheduled for 2028, is at least six months later from that date, and if it comes at the end of 2028, more than a year and a half.
What was not announced: the investment amount, the capacity of the two pipelines and the expected effect on prices for households and industry. We did not find these data in the statements from Zagreb, and they are exactly what determines how much gas will change the winter bill.
There is no message in numbers, but there is a deadline. If mid-2027 holds, the first winter with gas from a second direction would be the winter of 2027/28. Until then, supply remains on the existing route.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · November 7, 2026
