Hungary won’t accept any outside pressure on its energy supply policy and will continue to rely on Russia for oil and gas imports, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Wednesday, while attending an energy forum in Moscow.
“We have never been let down (by Russia). The deliveries have always arrived… Contracts were always respected. And my question is only why we should cut this relationship,” Szijjarto said, as carried by Reuters.
Hungary has continuously clashed with its fellow EU member states over plans to ditch Russian gas by 2027 and cut off oil supply from Moscow as soon as possible.
Hungarian officials have remained in contact with Russia’s top officials and have visited Russia on several occasions since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Hungarian leaders, including Prime Minister Viktor Orban, have met with Putin and other senior Russian officials several times since 2022 in defiance of the EU’s position to isolate and heap sanctions on Russia.
Referring to EU plans to cut energy supply from Russia, Szijjarto said in Moscow today, “Brussels wants us to cut one of the two (pipelines) under the phenomenon of diversification.”
“How can you consider having one pipeline rather than two safer? This is insane,” the Hungarian foreign minister added.
Last month, Szijjarto said that Hungary has no intention of suspending Russian oil imports despite pressure on the whole of the European Union from U.S. President Donald Trump and EU pressure on Hungary specifically.
“We can’t ensure the safe supply [of energy products] for our country without Russian oil or gas sources,” Szijjarto told The Guardian at the end of September, on the sidelines of this year’s United Nations plenary session in New York.
“If you look at the physical infrastructure, it’s obvious that without the Russian supplies, it is impossible to ensure the safe supply of the country,” Szijjarto said.
By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com
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