Hungary announces negotiations with Serbia on new gas pipeline

Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto voiced his expectation Tuesday (13 January 2015) that negotiations with Serbia, Turkey, Greece and Macedonia on potential construction of new gas pipeline to central Europe would be intensified soon.
Szijjarto added that Hungary, which greatly depends on Russian energy, wanted to store large amounts of Russian gas following the stoppage of construction of South Stream gas pipeline, noting that he had already proposed that to Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak, Reuters reports.
- Owing to the suspension of South Stream construction, we now have to find new ways to get new sources and routes in central Europe - said Szijjarto.
As Reuters reminds, Russian gas giant Gazprom has stored up to 700 million cubic meters of gas in Hungary since last year.
Szijjarto also said that none of the Hungarian gas storages would be sold to Russia, that Hungary has a gas storage capacity of about six billion cubic meters, and that the Hungarian government would like to use Russian gas coming via Turkey.
- Azerbaijan is another potential source of gas - the Hungarian minister said and assessed that potential import of gas from Croatia via planned liquefied gas terminal was also a desirable solution.
- Whichever plan is working, the EU should provide financial support for its realization - Szijjarto concluded.

Gazprom Moscow

Gazprom

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary

Peter Szijjarto

South Stream

Alexander Novak

Russian gas

Budapest