Serbia Plans Azerbaijan Gas Transit To Bulgaria, Signs New Russia Deal

Serbia is actively expanding its energy cooperation with Azerbaijan and Russia amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and EU sanctions pressures. The Serbian government is finalizing a new agreement to transfer Azerbaijani gas to Bulgaria and plans to build a gas-fired power plant in Serbia that will facilitate this transmission. Concurrently, Serbia is set to sign a significant three-year gas import contract with Russia, guaranteeing an annual supply of 2.5 billion cubic meters, maintaining its position as one of the few European buyers of Russian natural gas despite Western sanctions. Serbia's state gas company, Srbijagas, assures that gas reserves are sufficient for the coming months and that gas prices for the population will remain stable. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić is engaging in talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to address U.S. sanctions on Serbia's oil company NIS, seen as politically motivated due to its ties with Russian energy firms. These developments highlight Serbia's strategic balancing act between energy security, EU integration ambitions, and geopolitical pressures.