The foreign minister said Hungary can only support a European package of sanctions against Russia that ensures the country’s energy supply.
According to MTI, Péter Szijjártó said in Brussels that the European Commission’s latest sanctions package jeopardized the unified EU stance on ending European dependence on Russian energy. If the sanctions are approved, Hungary would have to make enormous infrastructure investments and would also need to manage the effects of the measures on price increases, he said.
Minister Szijjártó said on Monday that a meeting between Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Budapest had yielded some progress, but more discussions were needed in order for Hungary to change its stance on the commission’s proposal. He said von der Leyen had been briefed in detail on the effects the sanctions would have on Hungary. Hungary’s energy supply “rests on stable foundations”, but the implementation of the new sanctions package would destroy the country’s energy security, as it would make it “impossible” for Hungary to buy the oil needed to run the economy, Minister Szijjártó said. Until the EC offers a solution to these problems, Hungary cannot support the sanctions package, he said.
Photo credit: Facebook/Szijjártó Péter