Hungary’s FM Says Budapest could Purchase and Store Gas for Serbia like It Did in 2022

Hungarian Foreign and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto and Serbian Energy Minister Dubravka Djedovic (BETAPHOTO/MILAN OBRADOVIC)

Hungarian Foreign and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto on Feb. 7 said that if necessary, his country could purchase and store 500 million cubic meters of gas for Serbia as it did in 222. 

After meeting Serbian Energy Minister Dubravka Djedovic in Belgrade, Szijjarto said that 300 million cubic meters of gas were stored in Hungary last year, adding that the most realistic scenario was to import gas from Azerbaijan. “For to double import of gas from Azerbaijan it is necessary to build new interconnectors and expand the existing ones,” the Hungarian minister noted.

Szijjarto also said that Hungary remained open for further talks on import of gas from Azerbaijan via Serbia as it would ensure enough supply of this fuel for both countries.

Djedovic said that Serbia’s goal was to join the Southern Gas Corridor, which would increase Serbia’s gas capacities and would make it an even more important transit country. “We will have to increase internal capacities and invest in gas infrastructure as we can be getting gas from Azerbaijan and ensure supplies to both, Serbia and Hungary,” Djedovic said.