Bulgaria will supply 200 MWh of basic energy to North Macedonia during the winter season

Bulgaria will export electricity to North Macedonia. This became clear after a meeting between Prime Ministers Galab Donev and Dimitar Kovachevski. "The main topic on which we talked with Prime Minister Donev and his delegation was the energy crisis, which shook all the economies of the world. If two years ago we were fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, which blocked the world, and the shortage of vaccines - now we are fighting the shortage of electricity and expensive energy carriers, which bring big problems for both citizens and businesses," he pointed out.

"We are discussing a decision on the supply of electricity in 2023. It is about 200 megawatt hours of base electricity, for the period until March 31, 2023. We agreed to form a working group from the ministries of economy and energy, in which the capacity for transportation of electrical energy and prices". This was announced by the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Kovacevski.

The export will be until the end of March next year. The details of the contract are yet to be prepared, Prime Minister Galab Donev added.

We responded very quickly to the appeal for help from the RSM to solve the main challenges facing them in the energy sector. Bulgaria has traditionally been and still is an energy leader in the region, which guarantees security in the Balkan sector, Galab Donev also emphasized. We remind you that the Republic of North Macedonia recently declared a state of emergency due to the high price of energy resources.

"We reaffirmed the good assessment we have of the created preconditions for the positive development of the dialogue between our two countries and that we will consistently work to deepen constructive cooperation in all areas of mutual interest, striving to cover all areas that includes the Treaty of Good Neighborhood and Cooperation between Bulgaria and the RSM and all agreements under the protocols of the Intergovernmental Commission", declared Galab Donev - Acting Prime Minister.

According to him, agreements will also be reached for the storage of natural gas in Chiren, so that RS Macedonia can benefit from its participation in the terminal in Alexandroupolis. "Thus, supplies of liquefied gas will be able to be more balanced without the country experiencing additional difficulties," the Bulgarian Prime Minister is emphatic. Macedonia is a relatively small consumer of natural gas, as part of the country is not gasified. However, Skopje has already announced plans to buy electricity from the future gas plant near Alexandroupolis. Over the years, North Macedonia has repeatedly declared its readiness to purchase electricity from the Belene NPP as well, provided that it is completed.

After his meeting with Prime Minister Donev Kovachevski, he also met with President Rumen Radev.