BUDAPEST, February 7. /TASS/. Hungary is ready to stockpile up to 500 mln cubic meters of natural gas for Serbia in order to support the energy security of the neighboring country, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Tuesday after a meeting in Belgrade with Serbia’s Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic-Negre.
Hungary stored 300 mln cubic meters of gas for Serbia last year, Szijjarto noted. "We are ready to renew the agreement for this year and if necessary, keep 500 mln cubic meters of gas in our own storage facilities to prepare Serbia for the next heating season," the Minister said at the press conference, streamed on his page on Facebook [banned in Russia, owned by Meta recognized as extremist in Russia - TASS].
Hungary can buy gas for Serbia on the international market if needed, Szijjarto said. Serbia is a reliable partner for the transit of Russian gas via the TurkStream pipeline, he added. Hungary received 4.8 bln cubic meters of fuel via this route and its branches through Bulgaria and Serbia last year, Hungary's top diplomat concluded.