Without Türkiye, our energy supply would not be safe: Hungarian foreign and trade minister

Hungarian Foreign and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto lauded the TurkStream natural gas pipeline as a key component for Hungary's energy security.

Szijjarto, speaking to Anadolu on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), expressed his gratitude for Türkiye's role as a reliable partner, without which Hungary would face serious problems in natural gas shipments, in the face of the halt of natural gas transmission via Ukraine.

Due to the energy embargo imposed by European countries on Moscow over the Russia-Ukraine war, Russia's gas exports to Europe have been severely curtailed. Consequently, gas quantities from Russia via Ukraine have also decreased, raising Türkiye's role as a gas transfer facilitator in the region.

According to the minister, bilateral cooperation between Türkiye and Hungary is underpinned by the close relations between the two leaders, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

The TurkStream project serves as a link between Russia's extensive gas reserves and the Turkish gas transportation network, bolstering energy security for Türkiye, as well as South and Southeast Europe.

Spanning over 930 kilometers across the Black Sea, the pipeline makes landfall in the Thrace region of Türkiye. Beyond its role in ensuring secure energy supplies to the region, the project stands as a cornerstone of the countries' economic growth.

With a substantial annual transport capacity of 31.5 billion cubic meters, the pipeline enhances regional energy reliability.