Hungary still mulling Russian and EU pipelines

Hungary still undecided on whether to support the EU-backed gas pipeline or its Russian rival, officials say.

Izvor: DPA, neurope.eu

Monday, 30.04.2007.

12:45

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Hungary still mulling Russian and EU pipelines

"We will choose the solution that is the most advantageous and secure for Hungary," the statement continued.

Defense minister Imre Szekeres, during an official visit to the U.S., said that Hungary would choose the EU pipeline if it were at all possible.

The main right-of-centre opposition party Fidesz, which is fiercely anti-Russian, immediately welcomed Szekeres' statement and said it hoped this signaled a change in stance from the government.

Hungary, which receives 80 percent of its gas from its former overlord, was one of the countries most affected by the gas outages in January 2006, which occurred when Russian gas deliveries through Ukraine were disrupted.

Since then, the government has been pursuing three different routes to ensure there is no repeat of such events. One of the options has proven to be controversial, however, drawing fire from the EU and domestic sources alike.

Hungary's gas behemoth MOL has agreed to team up with Russia's Gazprom on extending the Blue Stream pipeline, which carries gas across the Black Sea to Turkey.

If the plan were carried out, the pipeline would extend into Europe. MOL has also agreed to cooperate on building a 10-billion-cubic-metre storage facility in Hungary.

However, the Blue Stream pipeline is seen as a rival to the EU- backed Nabucco pipeline, which aims to cut the dependence on Russian gas by bringing in Middle Eastern gas through Turkey.

Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany has faced accusations of undermining the Nabucco pipeline by backing the Blue Stream project.

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