BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 26. The Memorandum of Understanding for encouraging cooperation among Bulgartransgaz (Bulgaria), Transgaz (Romania), FGSZ (Hungary), Eustream (Slovakia) and the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) signed in Sofia on April 25 paves the way for additional gas volumes, Tamás Torma, Ambassador of Hungary in Baku, said in an exclusive interview with Trend.
He noted that the document in question does not establish a specific figure for additional natural gas purchases.
"The MoU will allow a smooth supply of additional natural gas volumes from Azerbaijan to Europe through cooperation between the local authorities and the transmission and distribution system operators. The aim is to ensure unrestricted and uninterrupted access for natural gas from Azerbaijan to the infrastructures of the participants. Hungary remains committed to the diversification of natural gas supply sources and routes and believes that Azerbaijani gas can constitute a real diversification option for Hungary’s gas supply,” said Torma.
The ambassador pointed out that the intensification of energy relations between Azerbaijan and Hungary was well demonstrated during President Ilham Aliyev's visit to Budapest with the signing of the interministerial MoU on natural gas cooperation.
The Memorandum of Understanding sets out directions of cooperation between SOCAR and four distribution system operators for the supply of additional gas from Azerbaijan to Europe. The additional gas will be supplied through the upgraded transmission network systems of Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia called the “Solidarity Ring”.
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