The Minister of Energy, Mining, and Mineral Resources, Sanja Bozhinovska, is participating in the Southeast Europe Energy Forum (SEEF 2024), held today in Thessaloniki, Greece. At the eighth edition of this significant energy event, Bozhinovska was a panelist on the topic: "Energy Cooperation in the SEE and Eastern Mediterranean: A Turning Point for EU Energy Security."
"I had the opportunity and privilege to discuss important energy topics currently at the forefront of European public attention. Together with my fellow energy ministers and relevant ministries from Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Romania, and Egypt, we exchanged ideas and views, as well as potential directions for energy stability that I believe we will implement in the upcoming period," said Bozhinovska after the panel discussion.
During her speech, Bozhinovska addressed the challenges faced by the countries of the region, emphasizing the importance of green transition, the shift from traditional to renewable sources, and the need for decarbonization. Our country, as part of a complex system, is an integral part of the regional energy system, which cannot be viewed separately but only as part of all future investment cycles and development plans for SEE.
"All actors involved in processes related to the green transition in a broader socio-economic context must be united in their commitment to building sustainable, functional, and transparent mechanisms to support regional cooperation. As a government, we will have a vital and proactive role in shaping the energy security of Southeast European countries. We are in the process of achieving an environmentally sustainable scenario at all levels, having opened a broad front of activities related to just transition, which is practically part of the green agenda, but at the same time, we are using a careful approach because we are still dependent on base energy sources. We aim for increased use of gas, which we view as a key energy source in the coming decades, through full gasification and the construction of cogeneration plants. At the same time, we continue to invest in renewable sources through the construction of photovoltaic and wind farms," emphasized Bozhinovska.
On the margins of the Forum, Bozhinovska held meetings with representatives of Greek companies Hellenic Energy Holding and DESFA, a Greek company working on part of the gas pipeline in the country.
The Southeast Europe Energy Forum is one of the most renowned events in the region, gathering key policymakers, regulators, investors, private sector representatives, professors, and experts who present and share best practices on energy trends and challenges in the region. The event is organized by the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and the Greek Association for Energy Economics in cooperation with the U.S. Embassy in Greece, in strategic partnership with the Atlantic Council and the Global Energy Institute of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
More information about the event: SEEF 2024
