Infrastructure does not leave much room for maneuver for Hungary regarding gas imports. The only solution after 2021 is still buying gas from Russia, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said on October 6, 2017.
Currently, Hungary could import gas through 3 facilities: via Ukraine from Russian sources; via Austria from mainly Russian sources; and from Slovakia, which currently ships no gas to Hungary.
German-Czech and Czech-Slovak interconnectors are almost fully booked by Gazprom until 2039, so they can also transport only Russian gas.
An alternative solution for transporting gas to Hungary could be Croatia and Romania, but these countries are keeping Hungary under blockade, Szijjártó said.
Since neither the United States, nor the EU have completed any infrastructure in the last few years, Hungary has no other choice but to sign a contract with Russia for gas supplies after 2021, the minister said.
Szijjártó added that negotiations about the contract for the period following 2021 have not yet started, so it is premature to criticize it.
The internal consumption of gas in Hungary is currently around 9 billion mc.
