US & Hungary urge diversification of Central Europe’s energy supply together
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US Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó urged the diversification of central Europe’s energy supply at a joint press conference they held after talks in Budapest on Tuesday.
Perry expressed Washington’s opposition to the construction of a Russian pipeline that would supply gas to central Europe, saying that it did not want Hungary to be involved in the project.
Szijjártó named the LNG terminal under construction on the Croatian island of Krk and the exploitation of the Black Sea gas field as potential projects that could help improve Hungary’s energy security. He added, at the same time, that the former project appeared to be “very expensive” at the moment while investment in the latter depended on the decision of an American and an Austrian company.
Hungary is therefore counting on the US to help mediate in both projects, the minister said.
The Hungarian government has done its duty and concluded its talks with the parties involved in the various energy projects, Szijjártó said, adding that Hungary would do its part in creating the necessary infrastructure.
He added, however, that Hungary would also continue to rely on traditional energy sources and considers the criticism of central Europe for its import of Russian gas a “double standard”.