Tirana, October 17 – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Belinda Balluku, participated in the annual High-Level Meeting of Energy Ministers of Central and Southeastern Europe. The event took place today in Bucharest. It was chaired by European Commissioner for Energy Dan Jorgensen and hosted by the Romanian government and Minister of Energy Ivan.

Ministers from participating countries presented reports on their regional energy situations. They discussed preparations for winter 2025–2026 and addressed energy security amid risks related to Russian gas usage.

Balluku highlighted Albania’s achievements in energy production. For the first time, 10% of the country’s domestic energy comes from solar sources, while 90% is still produced by hydropower plants. She confirmed that the eight-month report for 2025 reflected this milestone and emphasized the country’s national strategy for energy diversification.

During the day, Balluku held bilateral meetings with regional colleagues and Commissioner Jorgensen. She emphasized discussions with the Romanian Energy Minister on creating a regional energy axis. The proposed axis will include Albania, Romania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Italy.

She noted that broad regional cooperation has proven and will continue to be a foundation for guaranteed European energy security.

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