BUDAPEST, Jan 24 (NNN-XINHUA) – Hungary is prepared to provide its full transit capacities, to supply Slovakia with gas, via the southern TurkStream pipeline, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Peter Szijjarto, said here yesterday.
It is Hungary’s sovereign right to decide about its energy sources and routes, rejecting any external pressure, Szijjarto said, during a press conference in Budapest.
He criticised the recent suspension of gas transit through Ukraine, calling it “unacceptable” and a threat to regional energy security.
Ukraine stopped the transit of Russian natural gas to Europe on Jan 1, following the expiration of a five-year transportation agreement.
Hungary has increased the annual capacity of its interconnector with Slovakia by 900 million cubic metres, to strengthen the neighbouring country’s energy security, he added.
He also noted that, Hungary imported 7.6 billion cubic metres of gas through the TurkStream pipeline last year, leaving an additional 900 million cubic metres of free capacity, for further transit.– NNN-XINHUA
