Government: Hungary has not yet received permission to ease the Russian oil embargo
When it comes to drawing up EU sanctions against Russia, Hungary attaches prime importance to the security of its energy supply, a ministry of innovation and technology official said after attending an extraordinary meeting of the Energy Council in Brussels on Monday.
Attila Steiner said Russia’s decision to cut off gas to Poland and Bulgaria would not affect Hungary’s own supply, and the country was receiving Russian gas in accordance with its contract.
Gas is flowing through Bulgaria to Hungary, he noted, adding that this was crucially important to guarantee its supply.
Steiner told members of the Energy Council that Hungary has made big investments in its gas network over the past few years, building cross-border interconnectors. But other member states and third countries are needed to secure necessary gas resources, he said.
He also noted that
Hungary’s gas storage capacities are among the largest in the region.
Meanwhile, Hungary’s supply of crude oil is continuous, he said.
Hungary’s domestic refineries are geared towards Russian crude, so these supplies must be maintained, he said.
Whereas countries in the region have invested heavily in alternative sources in recent years, dependence on Russian energy is still high, he said, adding that it would be a matter of years before investments yielded alternative sources of energy.
Press reports indicate that Hungary and Slovakia may be excluded from the EU oil embargo in view of their special situation, but Hungary has not yet received a related proposal in writing, Steiner added.
Source: MTI
Once again MTI is not providing the full picture. The mechanisms regarding the oil embargo and the sixth round of sanctions are still being worked upon and the framework is only due to be announced tomorrow or Thursday, so of course the Hungarian government (which also sends an energy minister to these discussions) have not had ‘permission’. In future, I think I should skip any article here quoting MTI because it nothing more than a domestic megaphone for the government and is not a reliable source.
…the bottom line is, Hungary made a deal with Russia regarding energy supply, Hungary must honor that agreement….
@marievontheresa, the gas energy deal with Russia did not stipulate payment in Rubles, payment was to be made in Euros. Thus Russia has broken the terms of the contract. Not that a Russia and China lover like you (who ironically chooses to live in Canada) would understand that.