Hungary wants to use the natural gas extracted from Romania’s Black Sea sector and help transport it to other countries in Central and Eastern Europe. This was stated by Hungarian Minister of Economy and Energy István Kapitány after a meeting with his Romanian counterpart Dumitru Chisăliță in Zagreb.
The talks took place as part of a regional meeting dedicated to the development of energy links. The main focus was access to future production from the Black Sea, as well as the possibility of the gas reaching more markets in the region.
„We discussed the necessary steps so that Hungary can play an active role in purchasing the gas extracted from the Black Sea and distributing it in our region,“ Kapitány wrote.The Hungarian minister described the talks as constructive and said that dialogue with the Romanian side would continue in two weeks. According to the Hungarian newspaper „Világgazdaság,“ the next meeting is planned in Bucharest.
Neptun Deep is at the centre of the plans
Budapest’s interest is mainly related to the Neptun Deep field in Romania’s Black Sea sector. Production is expected to begin in 2027, which would give Romania greater importance as a producer and exporter of natural gas in the region.
For Hungary, Romanian gas is a potential additional source that could partially replace supplies from Russia. Kapitány has already stated that the country is seeking alternative routes and sources of supply, including through the southern gas corridors.
However, the delivery of gas to Hungary and other countries depends on available transport capacity, connecting infrastructure and the conclusion of commercial agreements. The connection between the Romanian and Hungarian gas transmission systems is already being used for deliveries, while operators are working to increase capacity.
The Romanian newspaper „Capital“ reported that the meeting in Zagreb also covered broader energy cooperation between the two countries, including cross-border infrastructure and improved connectivity between regional markets.
Sources: vg.hu, capital.ro, nemzetiobjektiv.hu