Hungary and Serbia are ready to build a pipeline that would connect the two countries to transport semi-finished oil products used to produce diesel and gasoline, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced on his Facebook page.
Earlier today, speaking in Belgrade alongside Serbian Energy Minister Dubravka Đedović Handanović, Szijjártó specified that the pipeline would be separate from the planned crude oil pipeline between the two countries.
Szijjarto was in Belgrade, where he discussed with Đedović Handanović the interstate agreement, primarily the sale of the Oil Industry of Serbia (NIS). Đedović Handanović said that the talks in some segments were "difficult and complex", because, as she stated, each side wants to protect its interests, Beta reported.
She reminded that the negotiations on the sale of NIS to the Hungarian company MOL are being monitored by the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
Đedović Handanović stated that she expects the construction of the Serbia-Hungary oil pipeline to begin in the fall, and that the possibility of building a "product pipeline" for the transport of oil derivatives as part of the same project is being considered.
Speaking about energy supplies, she stressed that Serbia will remain committed to talks on gas supplies and potential challenges. She stated that Serbia currently receives gas from Russia under the most favorable conditions, but that new interconnections will also be worked on to make other sources price-competitive.
Szijjártó, on the other hand, accused Ukraine of "political blackmail", claiming that it has not wanted to supply Hungary with oil via the "Družba" oil pipeline that passes through that country for a month.
"Ukraine is blackmailing for political reasons and is not starting the pipeline, they want us to give money and weapons, but we will not give them. Our goal is to stay out of that war," Szijjarto said.
He added that when MOL buys NIS, Hungary, Serbia and Slovakia will be more resistant to, as he stated, Ukrainian blackmail.
He pointed out that Hungary is ready to build a pipeline to Serbia for the exchange of derivatives, recalling that MOL doubled deliveries to Serbia last fall when it was facing difficulties in purchasing fuel.
According to him, NIS is now ready to provide additional quantities of derivatives to Hungary in March to help ensure that fuel supply problems do not affect the upcoming parliamentary elections.
"Serbia and Hungary can count on each other, they have not managed to disrupt our supply. They should not clash with Hungary and Serbia - they can play with others, but not with us," said Szijjártó.
Hungary has long been in conflict with Kiev over Russian energy products transiting through Ukrainian territory.
In addition to Hungary, the disruption of oil transit via Druzhba also affected Slovakia, and both countries have released crude oil from strategic reserves for their refineries to bridge the shortfall until alternative sources arrive. Hungary's MOL, which also operates the Slovak refinery Slovnaft, has ordered tankers with Saudi, Norwegian, Kazakh, Libyan and Russian oil.
Supplies via "Družba" to Hungary and Slovakia, the only two EU countries that still import Russian oil, were suspended on January 27 due to damage that Ukraine blamed on a Russian drone attack, Reuters reminds.
Croatia announced on Thursday that it can deliver oil to Hungary and Slovakia via its Adria pipeline to compensate for disruptions to the Druzhba pipeline, and is discussing the plan with the two countries and the European Commission.
"Croatia is here as a neighbor, partner and friend to ensure energy security and the smooth functioning of the economies of both Hungary and Slovakia," the local state news agency Hina reported as saying Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.
Plenković said that the Adria oil pipeline can transport up to 15 million tons of oil per year - enough to fully meet the needs of both Hungary and Slovakia.
The European Commission announced on Wednesday that Croatia is assessing whether it can legally import Russian crude oil delivered by sea to supply Hungary and Slovakia via the Adria pipeline, as that route serves as an alternative route.
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