Serbia’s leadership on foreign policy signaled a readiness to adjust natural gas flows with neighboring states to reinforce regional energy security. In remarks attributed to the country’s foreign minister, the focus was on expanding the transit of Russian gas toward Hungary, contingent on developments in Ukraine’s transit role. The official stated that Serbia is prepared to increase gas transit volumes to Hungary if Ukraine halts its gas transit operations. This stance aligns with Serbia’s broader aim of using its transit routes to help nearby economies meet peak demand while navigating the evolving energy-security landscape in Europe. [Attribution: Serbian government briefings]
In a concurrent briefing, the Serbian president reportedly affirmed that if Hungary seeks to bring more supply through Serbian routes, Serbia possesses the necessary transmission capacities to accommodate the additional volume. The statement highlights ongoing coordination between Belgrade and Budapest on shared energy needs, especially during periods of uncertainty about cross-border gas flows and the potential reconfiguration of transit routes. [Attribution: Presidential office statements]
Earlier discussions indicated that Belgrade had proposed routing natural gas from the Russian Federation via the Turkish Stream corridor as an alternative channel. The minister emphasized the possibility of diverting gas that would have entered Hungary through Ukraine to the Turkish Stream should transit via Ukraine cease after 2024, thereby maintaining a supply path for Hungary even if Ukraine-based routes are interrupted. This scenario fits into broader European energy-security planning that seeks reliable, diversified sources to offset disruptions and political risk. [Attribution: Energy policy briefings]
The same minister also addressed Hungary’s stance toward sanctions on Russia’s nuclear sector. Budapest argued that sanctioning the Russian nuclear industry could jeopardize the implementation of the Paks-2 nuclear power project, a development viewed as a strategic national priority. In light of this position, the government indicated it would defend its nuclear energy interests while balancing wider European sanctions policies. [Attribution: Hungarian energy strategy notes]
Meanwhile, there were remarks suggesting that the European Union was examining potential transitional scenarios for Afghanistan as part of its broader regional engagement. The aim appears to be assessing how Afghanistan’s political and economic transitions might affect regional stability, security cooperation, and energy or trade corridors that connect to the EU and neighboring markets. [Attribution: EU regional policy discussions]
Overall, the statements reflect a careful calibration of transit capacity, regional cooperation, and energy security in the Balkans and Central Europe. They illustrate how state actors in the region weigh the interplay between existing contracts, sanctions regimes, and the need to maintain reliable energy flows for domestic consumers and industrial users alike. Analysts note that any realignment of gas transit arrangements would depend not only on technical capacity but also on diplomatic relations among Serbia, Hungary, Ukraine, and Russia, as well as the evolving stance of the European Union toward Russia’s energy sector. [Attribution: Regional energy policy analysis]