Hungary says TurkStream could help supply Europe with gas if transit via Ukraine ends
MOSCOW, Oct 10 (Reuters) - The TurkStream pipeline that ships Russian gas to Turkey via the Black Sea could help Europe to cope with the expected loss of gas pumped via Ukraine, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Thursday.
A five-year deal between Kyiv and Moscow on Russian gas transit via Ukraine to Europe will expire on Dec. 31. An extension is seen as unlikely, given the military conflict between the two countries.
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Szijjarto said the loss of Russian gas routed via Ukraine will not hurt Hungary as the country receives Russian gas via the TurkStream pipeline.
"This alternative route may help not only Hungary, but other countries of Central Europe if they face a serious situation in case there is no transit via Ukraine," he told the St Petersburg International Gas Forum.
Hungary, in contrast to most European Union countries, seeks to maintain close political and business ties with Russia.
Ukraine has said it will not renew its deal with Russia, and Moscow has said the decision lies with Ukraine and Europe.
Russia shipped about 15 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas via Ukraine in 2023. That was equivalent to just 8% of peak Russian gas flows to Europe via various routes in 2018-2019.
Russian energy giant Gazprom said later on Thursday that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Hungary on a possible increase in supplies of Russian gas, at a meeting attended by Gazprom chief Alexei Miller and Szijjarto. No details were revealed.
Szijjarto said Hungary is satisfied with its cooperation with Gazprom and that it has no attractive alternatives.
"This year we are receiving 6.7 billion cubic metres of gas altogether from Gazprom in Hungary... This will make TurkStream totally utilised in its full capacity," Szijjarto said.
(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin and Oksana Kobzeva; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)