Vertical corridor expansion to North Macedonia and Serbia set for Thessaloniki signing
A memorandum of understanding to extend the Vertical Corridor to North Macedonia and Serbia will be signed Friday in Thessaloniki, as regional energy leaders gather for the 10th Southeast Europe Energy Forum.
SEEF 2026, scheduled for Sept. 4, will bring together government officials, energy executives, investors, academics and international experts from Greece, the United States and across Southeast Europe.
The signing is expected to strengthen regional energy interconnections and cooperation on security of supply, as Southeast Europe takes on a growing role in Europe’s changing energy landscape.
Regional energy links in focus
The forum will examine ways to strengthen energy security while maintaining affordability, sustainability and competitiveness.
The discussions come as Europe seeks to diversify energy sources and supply routes and expand cross-border infrastructure.
Particular attention will be given to the Vertical Corridor and the emerging energy geography of Southeast Europe, with Greece highlighting its position as an energy gateway between the Eastern Mediterranean, the region and the wider European market.
US and regional officials to attend
Participants will include , US Embassy in North Macedonia Chargé d’Affaires Nicole Varnes and Joshua Volz, Special Envoy for Energy Integration at the US Department of Energy.
Geoffrey Pyatt, former US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources, will participate remotely.
Greek Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou, Cyprus Energy, Commerce and Industry Minister Michael Damianos, Bulgarian Energy Minister Iva Petrova, North Macedonia’s Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources Minister Sanja Božinovska and Istvan-Lorant Antal, chair of the Senate Energy Committee of the Romanian Parliament, are also expected to take part.
Energy transition and investment
The forum will address financing for the next phase of the energy transition, regulatory predictability and the impact of energy costs on industrial competitiveness.
Other discussions will focus on renewable energy and storage, electricity and cross-border interconnections, developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and rising energy demand linked to digitalisation, artificial intelligence and data centers.
A special US Ambassadors’ Roundtable will examine energy security, regional cooperation and strategic partnerships, reinforcing the transatlantic dimension of the forum.
New infrastructure and technologies
The programme will also cover the Great Sea Interconnector and its links to the wider India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, as well as carbon capture and storage, the energy transition in shipping and regional cooperation on innovation.
Nuclear energy and Small Modular Reactors will also feature on the agenda as governments assess new ways to meet growing electricity demand.
The forum is organised by the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and the Hellenic Association for Energy Economics, in cooperation with the US Embassy in Greece and with the support of the Atlantic Council and the US Chamber of Commerce.
Source:AMNA
