Vucic: Serbia plans to purchase gas from Azerbaijan in 2023

By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Serbia is planning to purchase gas from Azerbaijan in 2023, President Aleksandar Vucic said in an interview with Reuters, Azernews reports.

He noted that the country has increased the amount of gas it holds in storage to the highest level yet. The president added that Serbia’s finances were resilient enough to secure alternatives to Russian energy to tackle supply shortages expected over the coming months.

“Serbia was seeking fuel supplies wherever it could. … We will be taking Iraq (oil), … I will try to speak with Venezuela as well. We would take from wherever. We are no squeamish,” he said.

Earlier, Serbian Mining and Energy Minister Zorana Mihajlovic said that her country intends to buy up to 40 percent of the necessary gas from Azerbaijan in 2023.

In June this year, Azerbaijan and Serbia signed an agreement on cooperation in the energy and mining sectors. The agreement aims to rationally use the potential of both countries' energy and natural resources and provides for cooperation in the energy sector, especially natural gas and renewable energy sources, as well as the promotion of mutual investments in mineral exploration, regulation, energy efficiency, and establishment of joint ventures. The document also reflects the continuation of cooperation to support the implementation of the Southern Gas Corridor. In this regard, it should be noted that the Serbia-Bulgaria (Nis-Dimitrovgrad) gas pipeline, will allow Serbia's integration into the Southern Gas Corridor.

Azerbaijan and Serbia collaborate in a variety of economic sectors. The Azerbaijan-Serbia Declaration on Strategic Partnership, signed in 2013, and the Joint Action Plan on Strategic Partnership, signed in 2018, laid the groundwork for the development of relations.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Serbia amounted to $9.2 million in 2021.