During the international forum Energy Transition Summit: East Med & Southeast Europe, organized in Athens by the leading global financial and business platform Financial Times, Federico Lazzari, Head of the Brussels Office of Glavbolgarstroy, participated in a high-level discussion focused on the development of and investment in strategic energy infrastructure across Europe.

The two-day meeting in Athens brought together representatives of governments, businesses, and the energy sector to discuss solutions for a more secure, affordable, and interconnected energy system through cooperation, investment, and policy coordination amid global challenges.

Opening the forum, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized the need for Europe to treat energy security as a strategic priority alongside its climate objectives. He noted that prolonged disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz region could have a serious impact on global energy markets, inflation, and supply chains, underscoring the importance of a more integrated and resilient European energy market.

During the discussions, the energy ministers of Greece, Georgia, Albania, Serbia, Moldova, and North Macedonia stressed the need to accelerate the integration of energy systems across Southeast Europe and strengthen regional coordination. Greek Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou described the Vertical Gas Corridor as a strategic project that goes beyond its infrastructure significance, playing a key role in both energy connectivity and regional cooperation. He also highlighted that, despite progress in decarbonization, energy security and reliability of supply remain key priorities, together with the need to ensure baseload energy capacity.

Serbian Energy Minister Dubravka Đedović Handanović emphasized the importance of accelerating energy market integration, noting that delays in the process and excessive bureaucracy increase costs and hinder the development of infrastructure projects.

Moldovan Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu, for his part, stressed the importance of cross-border energy interconnections for the resilience of energy systems during crises, as well as the need to strengthen international cooperation in order to guarantee security of supply.

Representing Glavbolgarstroy, Federico Lazzari underlined that Europe’s main challenge lies not so much in securing financing and investment activity, but rather in the speed of implementation of strategic energy projects. According to him, existing European financial instruments already provide substantial resources; however, delays in permitting procedures, administrative complexity, and the regulatory framework remain the primary obstacles to the rapid and prioritized development of infrastructure. He emphasized that energy security and stability of supply should become an even more prominent strategic priority for Europe.

In this context, cross-border infrastructure projects require a higher degree of coordination capable of overcoming differing permitting regimes, implementation timelines, and national procedures. As an example, Lazzari referred to the “Vertical Gas Corridor” project, which Glavbolgarstroy is implementing in Bulgaria. Under the EPC model, the company is carrying out the entire process of engineering, procurement of materials and equipment, and construction, while making every effort to shorten implementation timelines and optimize construction and installation activities.