With the aim of a broader gas supply in Central and Southeastern Europe, a new gas pipeline has become operational in southern Serbia, connecting the Balkan country to Bulgaria, an EU neighboring member.

The opening ceremony at the Trupale intersection near the city of Niš in Serbia was attended by the presidents of Serbia, Bulgaria, and Azerbaijan, according to a report from the Serbian state television RTS.

“At the opening ceremony at the Trupale intersection near the city of Niš in Serbia, the presidents of Serbia, Bulgaria, and Azerbaijan participated,” according to the Serbian media.

Serbia and other countries in Central and Southeastern Europe will now be able to receive natural gas directly from Azerbaijan and the Caspian Sea region through the new pipeline.

This reduces the dependence of these countries on gas imports from Russia, which is engaged in a conflict with Ukraine. The pipeline is 170 kilometers long, with 109 kilometers of it passing through Serbia.

It has a capacity of 1.8 billion cubic meters of gas per year, and its construction took less than a year.

The cost of the Serbian section is estimated at 85.5 million euros (92 million dollars). The European Union supported the project with grants totaling 49.6 million euros and a loan of 25 million euros.

Serbia itself is not a member of the EU but has been negotiating to join the bloc since 2014.