Replacing Russian oil imports would take years and cost several hundreds of millions of forints, while changes to Hungary's energy transmission system would cost thousands of billions of forints, the prime minister said.Continue reading
Because the approval of the European Commission’s latest round of sanctions against Russia would make it impossible for Hungary to buy the crude oil necessary to run its economy, the country can only support a proposal “that addresses this problem created by the commission”, the foreign minister said on Tuesday.
Speaking on the sidelines of a Syria donor conference in Brussels, Péter Szijjártó told Hungarian reporters that the EC’s latest sanctions package jeopardised 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, Szijjártó said.
He said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had been briefed in detail during her meeting with the prime minister on Monday on the effects the sanctions would have on Hungary. Hungary awaits Brussels’s proposals on how to resolve the situation, Szijjártó added.
Hungary’s energy supply rests on stable foundations; it is predictable and ensures the country’s ability to function, Szijjártó said. The EC’s sanctions package would “destroy this situation”, which Hungary will not allow, he said.
Featured photo via Péter Szijjártó’s Facebook page