Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said on Friday that the South-East Europe will become a first class transit zone and the zone of renewable energy sources in the next few years, and therefore the catalyst of energy stability in this part of the world.
At the 2011 South East European Oil and Gas Conference, Jeremic announced the beginning of a power plant construction in Obrenovac, 2012. In his speech, which was read out on his behalf by his assistant Zoran Vujic, he said that Serbia occupies a special position in the region due to its rich capacities for the production of renewable sources of energy. Save for being a natural transit zone for oil and gas, Serbia has natural resources which are important part of its strategic positioning on the world energy map, Jeremic said.
He noted that the Serbian government will advocate successful strategic partnerships and exploitation of natural resources it possesses. In that sense, he said that the agreement signed between a consortium of Chinese companies and the Electric Power Industry of Serbia on the construction of the power plant in Obrenovac will enable Serbia to develop renewable energy sources, use biomass, but also reduce dependence on traditional energy sources.
The investment is worth about EUR 2 million, and it represents one of the biggest individual investments in Serbia. Such strategic investments could serve as a support for other countries to appreciate more the possibilities Serbia offers, the speech reads.
The foreign minister also said that a great number of business companies from Europe are interested in the hydroelectric power station ‘Djerdap III’ and exploitation of Serbia’s great hydro-potentials. Jeremic noted that Russia has an important role in view of energy, and added that the construction of the pipeline South Stream will bring considerable benefits to Serbia.
In the context of gas crisis, however, governments have to create strategic partnerships with different countries, he said. Jeremic, who did not attend the conference for health reasons, in that context mentioned Azerbaijan, another country planning to build pipelines, in which, as he put it, the region of Southeast Europe will also has its role.
Source emg.rs
