Türkiye and Hungary have signed a historic agreement on natural gas supplies, marking the first time that Türkiye will export natural gas through pipelines to a European country that does not share a border with it, Turanews.kz reports.
The agreement was signed by the CEOs of BOTAŞ, the Turkish state-owned gas and oil pipeline company, and MVM CEEnergy, the Hungarian state-owned energy company, during a visit to Hungary by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Under the agreement, Türkiye will begin exporting natural gas to Hungary from next year. The volume of gas to be exported has not been disclosed, but it is expected to be significant.
The agreement is a major coup for Türkiye, which has been seeking to expand its role in the European energy market. It is also a blow to Russia, which has traditionally been the main supplier of natural gas to Hungary.
The agreement is also seen as a sign of growing cooperation between Türkiye and Hungary. The two countries have been working to strengthen their ties in recent years, and this agreement is a further step in that direction.
In addition to the natural gas export agreement, the two countries also agreed to cooperate on the use of Türkiye’s LNG infrastructure and natural gas storage facilities. This cooperation is seen as a way to diversify Hungary’s energy supplies and reduce its reliance on Russia.
The gas situation in Hungary
Hungary currently receives natural gas from Russia under a contract signed in 2021 for a period of 15 years. Through Ukraine, and then through Slovakia and Austria, Hungary receives 1 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Another 3.5 billion cubic meters go along the Turkish Stream, and then through Serbia.
