The conference’s intent was to facilitate energy security in the region, and promote resource diversification objectives. Speakers at the event included Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, U.S. Ambassador to Hungary Colleen Bell and U.S. Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs Amos J. Hochstein.

Szijjártó said that it was in the interest of the region to acquire as many sources of energy from as many routes as possible, adding that Russia has and will continue to have an important role in energy supply in Central and South Eastern Europe. Hungary’s priorities include infrastructure developments such as the LNG terminal in Croatia and the gas interconnector between Hungary and Slovakia, Szijjártó said, adding that gas could be received from Azerbaijan as well as Russia and that neither project should exclude the other.

He said the energy ministers from Serbia, Macedonia, Greece and Turkey as well as special envoy Hochstein would meet in Budapest in early April to review how to bring Russian gas to Europe through Turkey.