Hungary Negotiates Gas Purchase from Romania’s Neptun Deep

By Romania Journal Last updated Mar 10, 2025

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Hungary wants to expand its cooperation with Romania in the gas sector to diversify its energy sources, and relevant companies from the two countries are already negotiating an agreement, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Monday, as quoted by Reuters.

Szijjarto stressed that Hungary is interested in cooperation with Romania in the energy field, given that Romania is set to become a net exporter of natural gas in the coming period, with the start of production in a new Black Sea gas field, Neptun Deep.

Drilling at the Neptun Deep gas field in the Black Sea, one of the most important gas fields in the European Union, which will double Romania’s production and could transform the country into a net exporter, could begin in a few weeks.

“This new field will be the only fresh source of gas in the region that can contribute to energy diversification,” Szijjarto said after signing an energy solidarity agreement with Romanian Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja.

“Our companies are already involved in the necessary trade negotiations and we hope that they will reach an agreement that represents progress for both countries,” the Hungarian official added.

The Romanian Ministry of Energy has not yet communicated anything about this subject.

Hungary has expressed its intention to purchase gas from the Neptun Deep block for years. The Neptun Deep block is owned equally by OMV Petrom and Romgaz.

Historical buildings bought by Orban government associates in Transylvania

According to Republica.ro, Hungarian organizations are buying historic buildings in Romania, supported by the government in Budapest. Among the properties purchased are the Dacia Hotel, Wesselényi Castle and other iconic buildings. The most recent example of Hungarian interest in historic buildings is the Continental Hotel in Cluj-Napoca.

The Orban government has invested over 80 million euros in historic real estate acquisitions, according to the same source.

Two Hungarian companies, Manevi ZRT and Comitatus-Energia Beruházási, play a key role in these acquisitions, facilitating the transfer of the properties under Hungarian control.

The list of properties purchased by Hungarian entities is impressive. The White Cross (Arad), Wesselényi Castle (Jibou), Dacia Hotel (Satu Mare), Teleki House (Baia Mare), Onix Hotel (Harghita), Parc Hotel (Oradea), Mocsonyi Castle (Arad), Ferdinand Hotel (Hațeg), Hirschl Theater (Arad), Casino Hotel (Borsec) are just a few of the symbolic buildings purchased by Hungary on Romanian territory with the firm hand of two companies whose role is to support this governmental initiative and put it into practice: Manevi ZRT and Comitatus-Energia Beruházási, Republica.ro also reports.

The Continental Hotel in Cluj-Napoca is the most recent case. It was put up for sale in February 2024, after the company that owned it went bankrupt. An emblematic building for Cluj, the hotel was the place where the magazine “Gândirea” was founded and the former headquarters of the Romanian Press Union of Transylvania and Banat.

This is not the first time that the Orban Government has invested heavily in properties in Transylvania. In 2019, Budapest financed the acquisition of the Sonnenfeld Palace in Oradea and the former headquarters of the Minerva Association in Cluj-Napoca through the “Foundation for School”, supported by the UDMR.

At the same time, the former city hall in Carei and the Corona Hotel in Sighetul Marmației passed into the ownership of Hungarian entities. Also, in 2021, Manevi ZRT opened a branch in Satu Mare, Manevi Pro Transilvania SRL, through which new historical buildings were purchased, including the Ardealul Hotel in Arad, the Wesselényi Castle in Jibou, the Casino Hotel in Borsec and the Onix Hotel in Tușnad.

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