Hungary intends to continue buying Russian oil and gas, as it still does not have alternative sources of energy. This was said by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Economic Relations of Hungary, Peter Szijjártó, answering questions from journalists after a meeting of the EU Foreign Trade Council in Brussels.
He noted that Hungary is satisfied with cooperation with Russia in the field of energy, in particular with the prices of its products. “We have not received better offers yet. And until they are gone, we will not change anything”, said the head of the MFA.
According to him, Hungary does not have a good alternative to replace Russian energy sources. “A country will give up a reliable source of energy at a competitive price only if a better offer comes along,” explained Szijjarto.
He also emphasized that the formation of the national energy balance should remain the exclusive prerogative of the country's government. “That is why we reject any attempts to influence where, how and from whom we buy energy”, said the minister.
„This is a matter of national security and sovereignty. The reliability of energy supply is part of national security and we do not accept any interference in the discussion of issues related to energy security, Szijjarto added.
He also accused EU countries of hypocrisy, which call on Hungary to refuse cooperation with Russia, while they themselves continue to buy liquefied natural gas from it. “If you look at how Russian LNG supplies are growing, you will see that France has increased Russian LNG imports by 110% in six months,” said the minister. According to him, “87% of Russian LNG entering Western Europe goes to France, Belgium and Spain".