Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said on October 11, 2017, that Serbia can start imports of natural gas through the Turkish Stream pipeline in 2019, Serbian media reported.
«This is a project which spreads across the Black Sea region and will open towards Europe. We will cooperate in the field of renewable energy and gas. We want to deliver gas to Serbia as soon as possible,» news agency Tanjug quoted Erdogan as saying during a news conference after a meeting with Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade.
In July, Serbian infrastructure minister Zorana Mihajlovic said the country is interested in joining Russia's Turkish Stream gas pipeline project, as it needs a 2nd route for gas imports to ensure the stability of its energy system.
Serbia needs to take advantage of both the interconnector with Bulgaria and the possibility of joining Turkish Stream, Mihajlovic said back then.
Landlocked Serbia imports 82% of the gas it needs from Russia through a pipeline crossing Hungary and Ukraine.
The rest comes from domestic sources.
The Turkish Stream pipeline project is meant to transport Russian gas across the Black Sea to consumers in Turkey and further to Turkey's border with neighbouring countries for delivery to southern and southeastern Europe.
Erdogan paid an official visit to Serbia on October 10 and 11.
