Hungary, Slovakia set up joint commission to inspect Druzhba pipeline

Hungary and Slovakia have agreed to establish a joint commission to assess the condition of the Druzhba oil pipeline, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced.

“I have agreed with [Slovak Prime Minister] Robert Fico to set up a Hungarian-Slovak investigative commission to investigate the condition of the Druzhba oil pipeline,” Orbán said, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

He urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to permit Hungarian and Slovak inspectors to access the pipeline and carry out their assessment.

The Druzhba pipeline, which delivers Russian crude to both Hungary and Slovakia, has been offline for a month following damage Kyiv attributes to a Russian drone strike. Orbán has repeatedly called on Ukraine to restart the pipeline, framing the issue as critical to Hungary’s energy security.

The joint commission is expected to travel to Ukraine to conduct inspections and evaluate the pipeline’s current state, as both Hungary and Slovakia seek clarity over the impact of the damage and the resumption of oil transit.

By Vafa Guliyeva