Energy in focus: Hungarian and Bulgarian foreign ministers meet in Budapest
Bulgaria is a reliable transit partner, without whom Hungary’s energy security could not be guaranteed at this point, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said at a joint press conference with his Bulgarian counterpart Georg Georgiev in Budapest on Monday.
Szijjártó said Bulgaria was now an indispensable actor for the safe operation of the Hungarian economy since Ukraine blocked the gas pipeline passing through its territory. He expressed Hungary’s gratitude and appreciation to Bulgaria for acting as a reliable transit country for energy supplies.
He noted that gas supplies transported through Bulgaria to Hungary increased to a record 7.5 billion cubic metres last year and will probably rise further as the numbers are already around 21 million cubic metres per day.
Szijjártó said it was important that Hungary’s state-owned energy company MVM had set up a new regional gas trade company in Bulgaria.
He also noted that Bulgaria was ready to use Hungarian technology in the expansion of its nuclear capacities.
The minister welcomed the fact that Hungary’s exports to Bulgaria rose to a new record last year. He noted that OTP was the second biggest player on Bulgaria’s banking market and Videoton inaugurated a major investment in Stara Zagora last week.
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