Hungary’s government sees ensuring the country’s long-term energy supply, at a competitive price, as the “task and duty” of the state, and both of these conditions are satisfied by its cooperation with Gazprom, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said at the Saint Petersburg Gas Forum on Thursday.
Szijjártó said that the equivalent of 60% of Hungary’s annual gas consumption was already in storage facilities, thanks to a long-term delivery contract and supplementary commercial contracts. He added that while decision-makers in Brussels saw energy as an “ideological” matter, Hungary saw its energy supply as a matter of “physical reality” that depended on delivery infrastructure, too.
He said Hungary was satisfied with its energy cooperation with Russia and Gazprom, adding that deliveries had arrived on time, in compliance with contractual conditions, and agreements on additional volumes had also been reached.
“So far, nobody has made a better offer than our Russian partners. Nobody has offered cheaper or more reliable sources. So my question is, why should we switch,” he said.
Szijjártó said the expiry of the agreement on the transit of Russian gas via Ukraine would not be a problem for Hungary, as the country now gets most of its Russian gas through the TurkStream pipeline. He added that the pipeline, which runs from Russia through Turkiye, Bulgaria and Serbia, could serve as an alternative delivery route for other countries in Central Europe, too.
Fielding questions, he said Hungary’s fair partnership with Gazprom was a guarantee of secure supply and a competitive price. He noted that Hungary had signed a 15-year supply contract with Gazprom in 2021, while supplemental commercial contracts ensured a competitive price. He added that the next such contract would be signed later on Thursday.
Hungary will get 6.7bn cubic metres of gas this year, and next year, it will buy as much as can be accommodated by its full capacity in the TurkStream, he said. He acknowledged “political pressure” regarding Hungary’s energy supply, but said the government’s job was “not to yield to pressure, but to ensure the country’s secure supply”. He called out Western European states for “hypocrisy”, pointing to increased volumes of LNG at their ports as well as deliveries of crude through Indian middlemen.
UPDATE: Hungary, Gazprom sign agreement on secure, favourably-priced gas
State-owned Hungarian energy group MVM and Russia’s Gazprom have signed a supplementary commercial contract that will ensure the continued delivery of Russian gas at a competitive price, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in a post on social media on Thursday.
It is the government’s task and duty to ensure that Hungary’s energy supply is secure in the long term and that it pays a competitive price, allowing regulated utility prices for households to be maintained, Szijjártó said. He noted that Hungary had signed a 15-year supply contract with Gazprom in 2021, while supplemental commercial contracts ensured a competitive price. The contract signed on Thursday is the continuation of that practice, he added.
Read also:
Lefty liberal propaganda, obviously – probably owned by Soros, etc. However, this article helps to contextualize Gazprom:
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/04/24/gazprom-a-weapon-of-the-kremlin-in-metaphor-and-reality-a80916
“So my question is, why should we switch,”
Because by continuing to buy Russian gas, Hungarian government is openly supporting horrific pro-war Russian government to keep Russia´s war efforts going in our neighbouring country with Hungarian tax-payers money – including my money, which makes me feel sick.
The logic of hungarian people:
Helping Ukraine with loans and sanctioning Russia: 😡
Making deals with Russia: 🥰
Self explained joke
Great policy, ensure the supply of energy for all in Hungary.
Thanks Norbert for the link to the article. So Hungary’s purchases of gas from Gazprom has been literally financing Gazprom’s private army which is killing Ukrainians. Szijjarto is grinning about making a deal with Satan.
… and dovetail this to the Middle East and Israel. Please do pay attention. Iran … Good, @mariavontheresa ?
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/10/11/putin-owes-iran-may-find-out-how-much/
Just anticipating the TLDR thing:
“Since the Kremlin’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Iran and Russia have become close allies, building on a partnership forged in the civil war in Syria almost 10 years ago. There are reports that Russia is stepping up its supplies of military equipment. Tehran has sent thousands of drones and short-range missiles to Moscow. In return, Russia has been sending oil to Iran and giving it much-needed technical know-how.”
Rhetorical – what would our Politicians do?
There is absolutely no reason for Hungary to support Ukraine. Ukrainians oppressed Hungarian minority stuck in Ukraine. Thanks to Russia, the area occupied by Hungarians was not bombed. Also, people must remember that when this same Hungarian tribe was under Russian administration, the Hungarian population was not oppressed.
Zelensky’s actions spurred the war. There is no reason for Hungarian citizens to freeze in a winter because of Ukraine’s bad foreign policy. When Zelensky will be tired of the war, or his country totally destroyed then the war will end. The only hope for peace in Ukraine is President Trump.
It is time for Zelensky to issue a referendum and find out what the Ukrainians want.
Thank God for Russia and its reliable supply of energy. Hungary already has enough energy to last through the winter. There was an article on the net stating that Ukraine is suspending energy transport to Hungary once more. Hungary should totally bypass Ukraine and pay the same billion to Bulgaria or Serbia for energy transport.
Ukraine is Hungary’s enemy.