Following talks with Hungarian Foreign Affairs Minister Peter Szijjarto, Serbian Mining and Energy Minister Dubravka Djedovic said that Belgrade and Budapest have established strategic cooperation in the field of energy.

“The goal is to diversify the sources of energy supply and it is necessary to increase the flow of gas from Azerbaijan, in cooperation with Hungary,” said Minister Djedovic.

The Hungarian Foreign Minister said in Belgrade that, thanks to strategic cooperation, Hungary and Serbia have managed to overcome the energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine.

Describing bilateral cooperation in the energy sector with Serbia as excellent, Hungarian Minister Szijjarto said that, if needed, Hungary can purchase and store 500 mln cubic m of gas for Serbia, as it did in 2022.

He said 300 mln cubic m of gas was stored in Hungary last year and that the most realistic option is to realize the scenario of imports from Azerbaijan.

“In order to double gas imports from Azerbaijan new interconnectors need to be built and the existing ones expanded,” said Szijjarto.

He told a press conference that Hungary is open to further negotiations on the import of gas from Azerbaijan through Serbia to Hungary, because this will enable both countries to get gas from Azerbaijan.

Szijjarto said Minister Djedovic confirmed that Serbia is ready to cooperate with a Hungarian gas supply company.

He added that joint efforts were underway to double by 2028 the quantity of power transmitted between Serbia and Hungary.