Hungary, Serbia, North Macedonia join against Bulgaria

Hungary, Serbia and North Macedonia are taking joint action against Bulgaria in connection with the hike in its fee to forward natural gas, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign affairs and trade minister said in Belgrade on Friday.

At a joint press conference with Serbian energy minister Dubravka Đedović, Szijjártó said Serbia helped to undergird Hungary’s energy security, while some EU countries did the opposite.

He said no one had the right to threaten the security of another country’s energy supply. Bulgaria’s “hostile” measure was, he said, “unacceptable”.

“We’re ready to give a sufficiently weighty response to this hostile Bulgarian step within the framework of the European Union,” he said, noting their request for an infringement procedure.

He said North Macedonia was also “on board”, referring to “tight” cooperation and coordination with the country.

Bulgaria’s move, he said, put European solidarity in doubt. “Allies don’t do this to each other.”

Also, Bulgaria was going against EU rules by levying what amounted to a customs duty, he said, adding that it hindered the free movement of goods and undermined common EU trade rules.