Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó held talks with Serbian Minister of Energy and Mining Aleksandar Antić in Budapest on Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement to Hungarian news agency MTI.

According to the statement, the two ministers discussed the investment project required to enable the shipment of natural gas to Eastern Europe via the Turkish Stream gas pipeline leading from Russia to Turkey.

In an earlier statement, Gazprom said both strands of the Turkish Stream pipeline will reach the shores of Turkey by the end of 2019, meaning a new gas transport route could be established, providing Eastern European and Western Balkan infrastructure projects are realised.

“The diversification of natural gas procurement sources and routes is in Hungary’s interests, and for this reason Hungary is working in close coordination with Serbia and Bulgaria in the interests of having the gas that will be reaching Turkey also reach Eastern Europe”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)