Hungary is signing a long-term natural gas purchase agreement with energy conglomerate Shell, which — in addition to preserving existing energy sources — will also allow for the inclusion of new ones in the country’s supply, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó announced on Tuesday in Milan.
The Minister announced the news after his meeting with Bob Kijkuit, Vice President of Shell Energy Trading Europe and Africa, reporting that this is the largest-volume and longest-term agreement Hungary has ever concluded with a Western supplier.
He then revealed that
the agreement signed now covers the purchase of two billion cubic meters of natural gas over ten years, starting in 2026.
“This strengthens the security of energy supply, as it represents a new source, a new contract, and a new route. This is genuine diversification, which does not replace existing sources, but adds new ones to them,” he stated.
Hungary’s longest-ever and highest-volume Western gas purchase agreement has just been signed with @Shell. Starting in 2026, this 10-year deal will supply 2 billion cubic meters of gas to Hungary. Real diversification means adding new sources, not cutting existing ones. pic.twitter.com/U5ztSLRXzL
— Péter Szijjártó (@FM_Szijjarto) September 9, 2025
FM Szijjártó emphasized that energy supply security is a critically important issue, especially for a landlocked country with no access to the sea. He stressed that this is not a political or ideological matter, but a physical and geographical one. “The more sources and the more pipelines are available, the better,” he said.
For us, diversification does not mean giving up existing sources and routes, but quite the opposite — adding new sources and routes to those already in place,”
he continued.
“In our case, natural gas makes up one-third of the national energy mix. That is why we completely oppose ideological approaches that aim to aggressively replace it. We believe natural gas will remain with us for a long time when it comes to energy sources,” he said. “Due to our geographical location, the infrastructure of neighboring countries, and the uncertainties of the energy market, our energy security is based on long-term contracts.
The long-term contracts we have signed with Eastern suppliers provide a very stable foundation for us, and now this foundation will be further strengthened by a long-term agreement with a Western partner,”
he added.
Mitchell Gorman, Head of Shell Energy Trading Europe and Africa (L) and Gábor Orbán, CEO of MVM CEEnergy (R) signing the purchase agreement. Behind them: Bob Kijkuit, Vice President of Shell Energy Trading Europe and Africa (L2), and FM Péter Szijjártó (R2). Photo: MTI/KKM
The minister also pointed out that Shell first entered Hungary exactly 100 years ago, and over this time the company has proven to be a reliable partner. He noted that the British-Dutch company currently operates around 200 gas stations and 100 electric charging stations across the country.
“Our relationship with Shell has always been built on trust, mutual respect, innovation, and a long-term commitment to sustainable growth (…) We deeply value this reliable partnership amid the extraordinary challenges affecting energy supply security,” he emphasized. “We are ready to further expand our strategic cooperation with Shell. We hope that this agreement will serve as a flagship — one that will be followed by smaller and perhaps even larger ships in the future,” he concluded.
Via MTI, Featured image: Pexels
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