Hungary is reluctant to see Iran as a potential supplier for the
planned Nabucco natural gas pipeline as long as Iranian political and
economic reliability remains an issue, an Economics Ministry official
said Wednesday.
"We'd only like to sign contracts with politically and
economically reliable partners; if Iran reaches this status it can
become a partner but right now we have serious doubts," Abel
Garamhegyi, state secretary at the ministry told a press conference.
Hungarian oil and gas company MOL Nyrt. is one of
the five oil companies that make up the corporate side of the Nabucco
project.
Iran's participation in the project is also questionable
from an economic point of view as Iran would need to build an extensive
pipeline system to be able to supply Nabucco, Balazs Felsmann, state
secretary in charge of energy issues at the ministry added.
Hungarian Economics Minister Janos Koka, together with MOL
President and Chief Executive Zsolt Hernadi left for a tour of Turkey,
Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan to assess supply possibilities for Nabucco,
Garamhegyi said.