During her visit to Budapest on 22 July 2010, Jadranka Kosor, Croatian Prime Minister, met with Orbán Viktor, with whom – among others – she conducted talks about transport and energy connections, as well as the European Union accession process of Croatia. Within the framework of the prime ministers’ meeting, Tamás Fellegi, minister responsible for national development, signed a bilateral energy agreement with Đuro Popijač, Croatian minister of economy, labour and entrepreneurship.

The agreement between the Hungarian and Croatian Governments on the cooperation related to the construction, operation, maintenance, reconstruction and troubleshooting of the carbon-hydrogen transportation pipelines intersecting the common state border will establish the international law conditions for the commencement of the border-zone construction work of the new, high-pressure natural gas transportation pipeline planned between Városföld and Slobodnica, planned for this fall.

 On the Hungarian side, the investor of the construction of the pipeline is FGSz Zrt., while on the Croatian side Plinacro d.o.o. According to the plans, the new pipeline will start operation from the beginning of 2011. The pipeline, the planned diameter of which is 800 mm, will intersect the Hungarian-Croatian borderline by intersecting the River Dráva between Drávaszerdahely and Donji Miholjac (Alsómihojlac). In the event of the realisation of the Adria LNG terminal, planned for the Island of Krk, the connecting pipeline would also enable gas flow in the reverse direction between Croatia and Hungary, which, however, will require further developments in Croatia.

In addition to the construction work on the new pipelines, the agreement also regulates the conditions of the execution of border-zone work related to the operation, maintenance, reconstruction and troubleshooting of the existing Adria oil pipeline, as well as, at a later stage, provides an opportunity for construction work on the section of the production pipelines related to the natural gas test drilling in the Vízvár-North area between Berzence and Gola, falling into the border-zone, in the vicinity of the Hungarian Croatian border, and the exploitation of natural gas, expected at a later stage.

 Ministry of National Development Communication Department Budapest,
 22 July 2010