Skopje, 4 September 2026 (MIA) -- Speaking at the 6th Thessaloniki Metropolitan Summit in Thessaloniki, Greece, Minister of Energy, Mining and Minerals Sanja Bozhinovska said Friday that the state wants to be an active partner and an energy corridor connecting the South with Central and Eastern Europe instead of merely a spectator.

Bozhinovska took part in a panel discussion titled "The Vertical Energy Corridor: Building South-East Europe’s New Energy Security Architecture." In her remarks, Bozhinovska said energy security was tightly linked to energy source diversification, border infrastructure and regional connections.

"Energy independence means national sovereignty," the energy minister said. "Today it is not enough just to have energy — we need to know where it can come from, what routes it can take and whether those routes are secure, diversified and interconnected."

"Dependence on a single supplier makes us vulnerable," she noted. "Diversification and cross-border connectivity are no longer a matter of choice, but a matter of energy security and economic development."

According to Bozhinovska, the Vertical Gas Corridor is key to the new energy and geostrategic architecture of Southeast Europe and joining it is a landmark moment for the country.

"We do not want to be just an observer of these processes, but an active partner," Bozhinovska said. "After three decades, we are breaking our complete dependence on a single gas route and building infrastructure that will place Macedonia on the new energy map of Europe."

The energy minister also noted that construction of the 123-kilometer gas interconnector with Greece was progressing according to schedule and was expected to become operational in 2027.

"This is not just a project for us," Bozhinovska said. "This is access to alternative gas sources for the entire region. With the interconnector, we are increasing supply security, creating conditions for greater competition and strengthening regional energy resilience."

Bozhinovska also pointed out the strategic importance of the interconnector with Serbia. "Our vision does not stop at the Greek border," the minister said. "We are continuing with the interconnector with Serbia, creating a Western Balkan branch that connects the South with Central and Eastern Europe."

"We are transforming the region from a passive dead end into an active transit corridor," she stressed. "Our country has the ambition to be an energy bridge between the South and Central and Eastern Europe."

In addition to gas infrastructure, the minister highlighted investments in renewable energy sources, especially solar and wind, as well as the need to modernize and strengthen power grids and cross-border interconnectors.

"The energy transition is not just a change in energy sources," she added. "It is the construction of a new system — with more sources, more connections, more flexibility and greater resilience."

Bozhinovska's participation in the Thessaloniki Metropolitan Summit 2026 was an opportunity to present the nation's strategic energy priorities and concrete infrastructure projects to relevant political, economic and business stakeholders from the region and Europe.

Other participants included US Special Envoy for Global Energy Integration Joshua Volz, Greek Minister of Environment and Energy Stavros Papastavrou, Bulgarian Minister of Energy Iva Petrova and Deputy Minister for Recovery, Infrastructure and Transport of Ukraine Artem Rybchenko.

Titled "Axis 2030: Powering Connectivity, Unlocking Growth for South-East Europe" and organized by the Economist, this year's summit was dedicated to the future of Southeast Europe's connectivity, economic development and geopolitical challenges. mr/