US Secures Multi-Billion Dollar Energy Deals with Balkan Countries
The United States has deepened its energy presence in the Balkan region by signing several multi-billion dollar deals, including a $6 billion agreement to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Albania.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced that President Trump is opening a new era of cooperation with southern, central and eastern Europe, as Washington seeks to counter Russian influence in the region. A long-term deal signed last year between the US and Greece to export LNG has been followed by this latest agreement.
The $6 billion deal was inked between Venture Global and Aktor LNG USA, with US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle hailing it as a commitment that strengthens energy security across the region. Wright also confirmed US backing for an agreement to build a gas pipeline carrying US natural gas from an LNG terminal on Croatia's Krk island to Bosnia.
The project aims to diversify Bosnia's energy supplies and reduce its reliance on Russian gas, with US company AAFS Infrastructure and Energy LLC investing around 1.5 billion euros in the venture.