Hungary and Slovakia closer on agreement about regulating water flow on the Danube
An agreement between Hungary and Slovakia on regulating water flow on the Danube is taking shape, Gábor Czepek, a state secretary at the Energy Ministry, told public television on Wednesday.
Czepek, who is also the government commissioner for developing Hungarian-Slovakian energy infrastructure, tasked with resolving a decades-long dispute over the Gabcikovo–Nagymaros dams project, noted that the cross-border barrage project launched some 50 years earlier had produced a hydroelectric dam on the Danube in Slovakia, at Gabcikovo, but Hungary had shelved the construction of a dam on its stretch of the river, in Nagymaros. He added that a decision by the International Court of Justice in The Hague had acknowledged the merits of the arguments of both sides, sending them back to the negotiating table.
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Czepek said it had become apparent that the Gabcikovo hydroelectric power plant would continue to operate for the coming 30 years, adding that Slovakia had taken steps to extend its lifespan.
He said the good diplomatic and intergovernmental ties necessary to reach a favourable agreement on energy, environmental and water management issues were in place, but a deal also required the involvement of local residents and pointed to talks on Friday with the mayors of settlements near the dam. He added that there was unanimous support for points in an agreement the government aimed to flesh out with the Slovakian side.
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He said those points included acknowledging that a dam would never be built at Nagymaros, getting more water from Slovakia and sharing power from the Gabcikovo hydroelectric works. He added that Hungary wanted to get one-third of the electricity generated at the dam at favourable prices.
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