Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia ask EU to fund development of infrastructure for Azerbaijan gas supplies to Europe

BAKU. Jan 24 (Interfax) - Hungary is hailing Azerbaijan's plans to double gas exports to the European Union by 2027, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said.

"We welcome and respect Azerbaijan's ambition by 2027 to double the capacity of the pipelines through which it can deliver gas here, to Europe," Szijjarto told a joint press conference with Azerbaijan's Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov in Budapest on Tuesday.

"Together with Bulgarians, Romanians and Slovaks we have asked the European Commission to provide financial support to develop the regional infrastructure necessary to receive the [extra] volume of Azerbaijani gas via Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia for the energy security of Southern and Central Europe," Szijjarto said.

This would involve building new capacity and increasing the existing interconnectors, he said.

In Davos on January 19 President Ilham Aliyev said Azerbaijan's gas exports to Europe would increase to at least 20 billion cubic meters by 2027.