BUDAPEST, March 28 - Ukraine is counting on the technical capability for the reverse flow of gas through Hungary increasing to five billion cubic meters (bcm) a year in one or two months, Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Eduard Stavytsky said.

"Today the technical capability for deliveries from Hungary to Ukraine amount to at least 3-3.5 million cubic meters of gas per day. But over the next one or two months we anticipate an increase in technical pumping capacity that will be nearly 15 million cubic meters of gas per day, which is five times more than now. Adding it up, that is not less than 5 billion cubic meters of gas a year," Stavytsky told the press in Budapest on Thursday.

Speaking about the start of reverse gas deliveries through Hungary to Ukraine, Stavytsky noted that this gas is delivered on the basis of a contract concluded between national oil and gas company Naftogaz Ukrayiny and RWE of Germany - for the delivery of around 5 bcm of gas.