Hungary's responsible economic development strategy must be based on sustainably produced, cheap energy; in Hungary, that can be ensured mainly through solar and nuclear energy, the foreign minister said.
Hungary has imported 275 million cubic metres of gas from Turkey this year, and the two countries have now agreed to continue the partnership.
Hungary's MOL is the third-largest shareholder in the Azeri-Chirag-Deepwater Gunashli (ACG) field, after the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and BP, which operates the JV.
Minister Szijjarto said the government had a duty to guarantee a secure and stable energy supply while keeping environmental protection aspects in mind.
For Hungary, the EU set a ratio of 86 percent by Sept 1 which the country met already in mid-August.
The foreign minister highlighted the importance of the Turk Stream gas pipeline in terms of Hungary’s gas supplies, as well as Hungary’s 15-year gas purchase agreement with Gazprom, signed in 2021.
The foreign minister said that when a country threatens the security of another country’s energy supplies, then it also threatens that country’s national security interests.”
The foreign minister said the EC’s failure to act on the matter was “shameful” and showed the EU executive’s “true colors”.
Gergely Gulyás expressed hope that crude oil supplies will be secure in the long term on the route that is under threat in terms of transits.
Minister Szijjártó said on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting that “Hungary’s energy supplies are secure despite the challenges you are familiar with”.
Tamás Deutsch criticised the EC’s “inaction” concerning Ukrainian restrictions on the transit of Russian crude to Hungary and Slovakia.
The foreign minister said that “it became clear during the talks that we see the nature and consequences of the Ukrainian decision differently.”
By stopping crude deliveries, Ukraine was endangering Hungary’s and Slovakia’s energy security, which was in breach of its association agreement with the European Union.