BUDAPEST, March 12. /TASS/. Hungary will not drop cooperation with old and proven partners in the energy sphere under the political pressure of third countries, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said at the Balkan Forum in Budapest.

Diversification does not mean rejection of earlier mutually beneficial agreements, the minister said during the panel discussion. The Hungarian government is satisfied with current gas procurement contracts in terms of the price and their reliability and predictability, Szijjarto noted. Attempts to force Hungary to reject them will not lead to anything, he said. "We will in no way jeopardize security of supplies to our countries in accordance with any political and ideological wishes, whosoever is their originator," the minister stressed.

Hungary is committed to diversification of sources and routes of oil and gas supplies but their expansion require appropriate infrastructure, including in the West Balkans and Southeast Europe, Szijjarto said. The capacity of pipelines there require expansion. "Therefore, the government has to rely on existing suppliers and transit routes," he added.