Budapest to join project to export electricity from Azerbaijan to Europe via Georgia - Hungarian FM

BAKU. Aug 25 (Interfax) - Hungary stands ready to join a project to export electricity under the Black Sea from Azerbaijan to Europe via Georgia, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said.

"The present situation highlights the importance of finding new energy resources and organizing their supplies. One of the (current, and though not one-and-only but still crucial) partners in this regard is Azerbaijan, buoyed by the recently signed energy agreement with the EU. We have strategic relations [with Azerbaijan], and we often exchange ideas. I also talked with Energy Minister of Azerbaijan Parviz Shahbazov over the phone today," Szijjarto said on social media.

According to Szijjarto, Shahbazov briefed him on Azerbaijan's initiative to arrange electricity exports under the Black Sea to Europe via Georgia.

"We quickly came to an agreement that Azerbaijan will produce a large amount of 'green' electricity, which will be delivered via an underwater cable first to Georgia and then to Romania. And we agreed today that Hungary will join this large-scale project, because in order for this project to gain EU support, at least two [EU] member countries need to be involved in it," he said.

Hungary will be able to use some of this "green" energy for its own needs and send a certain amount of electricity to neighboring countries via its territory, he said.

This project may be put into practice "in 3-4 years," Szijjarto said.

"On one hand, it will make a major contribution to ensuring our energy supply, because it will be a totally new energy source, and, on the other hand, it will bring us even closer to our goal of achieving carbon neutrality. In the near future, we will receive a draft agreement [with Azerbaijan], and, if our interests coincide, we will certainly be able to promptly sort out details," he said.