Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, has confirmed that gas deliveries continue to flow to Hungary on schedule, without obstruction and according to the country's long-term contract with Russia.
Commenting on reports that Russia had stopped deliveries to Poland and Bulgaria, Minister Szijjártó said some 3.5 billion cubic meters of gas arrive in Hungary via Turkey, Bulgaria and Serbia every year, which was a “significant” portion of the country’s annual consumption. While Russia has stopped delivering the gas intended for consumption in Bulgaria, transits are untouched by the measure, he said on Facebook. “I would like to put everyone’s mind at ease: the suspension of deliveries to Bulgaria does not include transits across the country,” he said.
Meanwhile, Russian state-owned energy company Gazprom has decided to request payments in roubles, in view of the sanctions hitting Russia due to the war in Ukraine. “We have found a solution where [Hungary] will pay in euros to an account set up at Gazprom Bank, which will then exchange it to roubles and transfer it to Gazprom Export,” Minister Szijjártó said. Slovakia has chosen the same method of payment, according to a statement of the Slovak economy minister on Tuesday, Minister Szijjártó said.
Photo credit: Facebook/Szijjártó Péter