Croatia Offered Hungary And Slovakia A Substitute For Russian Oil
- 16.09.2025, 18:11
Zagreb can guarantee oil supplies in excess of 12 million tons per year through the Adriatic pipeline.
Croatia is ready to fully supply Hungary and Slovakia with oil via the Adriatic pipeline, the country's Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said. He published a fragment of an interview for CNN in X.
He said the pipeline's capacity allows guaranteeing the supply of more than 12 million tons of oil of the right grades, which covers all the needs of refineries in the Hungarian city of Sazhalombatta and Bratislava.
Plenkovic stressed that this route could become an alternative to Russian supplies in conditions when US President Donald Trump links a possible tightening of sanctions against Moscow to the European Union's rejection of Russian oil.
"We believe there is no risk to oil supplies to our two neighboring countries, which we would like to help with the issue of energy security," Plenkovic said, but added that the issue is not only where the oil comes from, but also "the actual price at which it is bought."
The Croatian prime minister also noted that solving the problem of supplying Hungary and Slovakia through the Adriatic pipeline could help form a unified EU position on sanctions.
Plenkovic sent a proposal to the European Commission to activate the Adriatic pipeline to supply oil, including to Hungary and Slovakia, back in July 2024.
He noted at the time that the Croatian company JANAF, which operates the pipeline, "is ready to negotiate long-term contracts with large volumes to ensure energy security and reduce dependence."
Oil from Russia flows to Hungary and Slovakia via the southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline, which runs through Ukraine. Pumping Russian crude through the northern branch, which goes to Poland and Germany, has been halted due to EU sanctions.
The Adriatic pipeline was built in the 1970s to transport oil from the port of Omisalj (Krk Island, Croatia) to Central European countries including Hungary, Czechoslovakia and others. Its route runs from the Adriatic Sea through Croatia, Slovenia and on to Hungary, supplying European markets with raw materials.