The agreement between Hungary and the Russian natural gas production company Gazprom complies with European Union law, stated Josep Borrell, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Ukraine turned to the European Commission for review, as they believe that the gas supply contract was illegal.
This article was originally posted on our sister-site, Ungarn Heute.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Ukraine turned to the European Commission only because of envy towards their neighboring country.
Hungary signed the latest long-term gas supply contract with Gazprom, believed to be the world’s largest natural gas production company, before the end of September. While the contract is beneficial for Hungary according to Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of neighboring Ukraine declared on the same day that they are very disappointed. As a result, they asked the EU and NATO for help. In their message they wrote: “We consider this to be a purely political, economically unreasonable decision taken in favor of the Kremlin and to the detriment of Ukraine’s national interests and Ukrainian-Hungarian relations, which does not comply with the principles of the Treaty of Good Neighborliness and Cooperation between Ukraine and Hungary of December 6, 1991.”
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó labeled Ukraine’s decision to turn to the European Commission “a serious attack on Hungary’s sovereignty.” Szijjártó emphasized that Hungary was not the only country to sign such a contract with Russia. Hungary’s gas supplies must be secured by its government and “it is nobody else’s business how we do that.”
Featured photo illustration by Tibor Rosta/MTI