Serbia is stepping up efforts to diversify its energy supplies away from Russia and is already in talks to purchase natural gas through the European Union’s joint gas-buying mechanism, President Aleksandar Vucic said in an interview with Reuters on February 4.

The Balkan country, which is seeking EU membership, remains one of Europe’s most energy-dependent states and among Europe’s few remaining buyers of Russian gas. More than 80% of Serbia’s gas supplies still come from Russia, but Brussels has been pressing Belgrade to find alternatives as the EU seeks to curb revenues flowing to Moscow amid the war in Ukraine.

“We have to adjust our energy policies to certain demands and requests,” Vucic told Reuters during the interview at the presidency in Belgrade, where he was flanked by an EU flag. “Still we will have big quantities of Russian gas, but we are taking more and more from Europeans.”

Serbia failed to secure a new long-term contract with Russia’s Gazprom last year, after Moscow declined to offer a multi-year deal in October 2025. A short-term agreement reached in December expires on March 31, leaving Belgrade reliant on temporary arrangements and Russia’s goodwill for access to relatively cheap gas.

Vucic said Serbia is aiming to secure around 500mn cubic metres of gas per year – roughly one-fifth of its annual demand – through the EU’s communal gas-buying initiative, which it joined last year. The country is already importing gas from Azerbaijan via Bulgaria, while construction of a pipeline to North Macedonia, which would provide access to liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals in Greece, is expected to start this year.

An oil pipeline linking Serbia with neighbouring Romania is due for completion in 2027, while additional gas and oil connections with Hungary and Romania are also planned. “This is a big diversification,” Vucic said in the interview.

Serbia imports nearly all of its gas – about 3bn cubic metres in 2024 – with domestic production covering only around 10% of needs. The government has launched a broader push to diversify gas and electricity supplies, expand renewable energy and attract foreign investment into energy infrastructure after years of underinvestment.

By the end of 2026, Belgrade aims to secure 1.3 GW of new renewable capacity through competitive auctions, covering solar, wind and energy storage. Meanwhile, domestic coal reserves are at record levels, while state gas company Srbijagas plans to double storage capacity at the Banatski Dvor facility.

Serbia is also reviving its nuclear ambitions. After lifting a decades-old ban in 2024, the government is exploring both large-scale nuclear plants and small modular reactors as part of its long-term energy strategy.

With new pipelines, storage projects and renewables capacity in the pipeline, alongside plans to incorporate hydrogen and expand regional cooperation on energy infrastructure, Serbia’s shift away from near-total reliance on Russian energy is expected to open up fresh opportunities for foreign direct investment across the sector.