Hungarian and Serbian governments call Bulgarian tax on Russian gas transit a hostile move

The new measure introduced by Bulgaria threatens the energy security of both Hungary and Serbia.

Szijjártó Péter külgazdasági és külügyminiszter beszédet mond a Swiss Krono Kft. beruházásának bejelentésén a Külgazdasági és Külügyminisztériumban 2023. október 3-án. Eszerint a svájci tulajdonú faipari cég új, rétegeltlemez gyártására szolgáló egységet épít kilencmilliárd forint értékben, amelyhez az állam egymilliárd forint támogatást nyújt, így segítve kilencven új munkahely létrehozását. MTI/Balogh Zoltán Fotó: Balogh Zoltán

Bulgaria's decision to impose a new tax on the transit of natural gas from Russia is a hostile move against Hungary and Serbia, the Hungarian and Serbian governments said in a joint statement published on the Hungarian government's official website on Tuesday. 

According to the statement published under the names of Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and Serbia's Deputy Prime Minister Sinisa Mali,

the new Bulgarian measure threatens the security of both Hungary's and Serbia's energy supply.

The European Union does not impose sanctions on gas supplies from Russia, so the Bulgarian prime minister's argument is completely wrong, they wrote.

The decision also runs counter to European solidarity, as it threatens the energy security of an EU member state and a candidate country. Hungary and Serbia will coordinate their actions and will not let this hostile Bulgarian decision go unanswered, the statement says.

Cover photo: Hungary's Minister of Trade and Foreign Affairs Peter Szijjarto (Photo: MTI/Zoltan Balogh)