Energy Focus

Orban Visits Serbia, Russia with‍ Energy Top of the Agenda

BELGRADE, Serbia – Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met with Serbian⁣ President Aleksandar Vučić in Belgrade today, with energy security and deepening​ economic ties between the two nations taking⁣ center stage. The visit comes amid ongoing geopolitical tensions stemming from the war in Ukraine and increasing scrutiny of Hungary’s relationship with⁢ Russia.

Orbán and⁤ Vučić discussed potential joint energy projects,including expanding the TurkStream pipeline – which currently delivers Russian gas ‍to Serbia – through Hungary. Orbán emphasized the importance of diversifying energy sources ‍while acknowledging the continued ⁤reliance on Russian supplies. “We‍ need to find solutions to⁢ ensure‍ energy security for both Hungary and ‌Serbia,” Orbán stated following the meeting.

The leaders also addressed regional stability‍ and the challenges posed by sanctions ‍against Russia. Serbia, which has not joined the EU’s sanctions regime against Moscow, maintains close economic and political ties with Russia. Hungary has repeatedly called for a negotiated settlement to the conflict in Ukraine and has resisted EU efforts to impose stricter sanctions on Russia, notably in the energy sector.

This visit underscores a growing alignment between Budapest and⁣ Belgrade, ⁤both of which have often taken positions divergent from the broader EU consensus.Orbán’s trip also ⁣precedes a planned visit to Moscow,​ where he intends to discuss gas supplies with Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite warnings from brussels and other Western capitals. The Hungarian Prime Minister has justified the Moscow trip as necessary to ‌secure Hungary’s energy needs, stating that “we have to defend our national interests.”