Croatia and Hungary are exploring deeper cooperation in oil and gas infrastructure, with the JANAF pipeline and the Krk LNG terminal central to efforts to strengthen regional supply security. The discussions also involve broader energy partnership arrangements between the two countries. Croatia has offered practical tests related to pipeline performance for regional supply.
Practical capacity checks for JANAF supply
Croatia’s Economy Minister Ante Susnjar said Zagreb is prepared to verify the capabilities of the JANAF pipeline and other strategic infrastructure. The proposed approach is intended to demonstrate JANAF’s capacity to supply Hungary and Slovakia. The tests are described as practical measures connected to pipeline capability verification.
MOL-INA talks and infrastructure expansion agenda
Hungarian Economy and Energy Minister Istvan Kapitany backed further discussions between MOL and Croatia’s INA. The ministers’ engagement is linked to efforts to improve a relationship that has been complicated by disagreements over the Croatian oil company. The wider agenda includes additional work on oil and gas infrastructure cooperation.
The cooperation plan also covers further expansion of Krk LNG. It includes an expected increase in Croatian-Hungarian gas interconnector capacity by the end of 2026. The governments are also considering cooperation on a gas field extending across their border.
Political support and investment figures
Talks gained political support after Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar met Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic at the Bled Strategic Forum in August. Kapitany said Hungarian investments in Croatia totalled about €5.4 billion, representing roughly 11.2% of Hungary’s foreign investments. The figures were cited in the context of ongoing bilateral energy engagement.
Kapitany said the commercial test would be whether renewed political cooperation produces additional transport capacity and supply agreements. The aim described in the discussions is to provide regional buyers with more alternatives through expanded infrastructure and contractual arrangements.
