Hungary and Serbia kickstart vital oil pipeline project
- The construction of the oil pipeline between Hungary and Serbia will commence soon, announced Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto in Belgrade. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban held "strategic consultations" with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in the Serbian capital that day.
Szijjarto stated that the pipeline, which includes a section approximately 110 to 120 miles long in Hungary, will be completed by 2027 and will ensure fuel supplies to Serbia and the region. He also added that Hungary and Serbia will double the capacity of connections between their power grids by 2028.
The Hungarian Foreign Minister noted that many countries in Central Europe receive gas supplies through Serbia after Ukraine stopped transmitting Russian gas to Europe. Hungary receives about 260 billion cubic feet of gas this way annually, he said.
Szijjarto assessed that Ukraine is "one of the main reasons" for the energy crisis in Europe.
Ukraine has left Central Europe in need. Meanwhile, Serbia acts as a responsible, reliable, and honest transit country, ensuring gas supplies, he stated.
Commenting on Friday's talks between the Hungarian and Serbian delegations, President Vucic wrote on Instagram that the "strategic dialogue concerns the geopolitical situation and foreign policy, the economy, and cooperation in the areas of defense and security, including the development of the arms industry." The relations between Serbia and Hungary are currently the best in history, the Serbian president emphasized.
