(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUL 16 - North Macedonia has joined the so-called Vertical Gas Corridor, one of the main European initiatives aimed at diversifying supply sources and strengthening energy security in Southeastern, Central and Eastern Europe. This was announced by the government of Skopje. The Vertical Gas Corridor currently includes Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Slovakia, and Hungary, with North Macedonia and Serbia in the process of joining. The initiative does not call for the construction of a single new gas pipeline, but rather the development of an integrated network based on existing national infrastructure, interconnectors, and terminals that will allow gas to flow along various routes, primarily from the Mediterranean to Central and Northern Europe. (ANSA).