Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said Hungary has made it clear to Bulgaria that it will veto the country’s Schengen membership if a “punitive tariff” on gas transits is maintained by Bulgaria in the long term.
Minister Szijjártó said on Facebook on Saturday that Bulgaria’s move was “scandalous and hostile” because it endangered gas transfers to North Macedonia, Serbia and Hungary. As a result of the current geopolitical and security circumstances, a major part of natural gas supplies required by Hungary arrive through the affected pipeline and Bulgaria’s decision “goes fully against European regulations,” he said. “It carries the risk of natural gas deliveries to, among others, Hungary, stopping completely,” he said. Minister Szijjártó said that a decision on Bulgaria’s Schengen membership is scheduled to be made next week, “so they have suddenly started making efforts to scrap the law”. “If they cancel it, we will also withdraw our decision concerning the veto,” he added.