Brussels will not force Hungary to stop purchasing Russian energy resources – Szijjártó
Hungary will continue to purchase Russian energy resources, and the European Union's demands to abandon this demonstrate a lack of common sense.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto made this statement during the Russian Energy Week, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
"We uphold our sovereign right to choose and determine our country's energy balance in a way that benefits our country, and we will never allow anyone to pressure us or coerce us into making decisions regarding supply security . Currently, given Hungary's energy balance, we can say that we are in a secure position when it comes to gas. We have long-term contracts with Gazprom. But, of course, we also purchase gas and energy from other sources..."
If we are cut off from Russian gas supplies, the remaining infrastructure will not allow us to ensure sufficient energy supplies to our country . That's why we currently have a diversified system. But now we are facing pressure, and we could end up in a situation where we become completely dependent. And we will never allow that to happen ," Szijjártó said.
According to the Hungarian diplomat, European officials are confusing concepts when they call the refusal to purchase gas from Russia diversification.
" Brussels wants us to eliminate one of the two pipelines; they call it diversification. How can this be called diversification? We have two pipelines. You're proposing to keep one. How can one pipeline be better than two? Or safer? This is simply scandalous. It's completely insane, and it's a complete lack of common sense ," the Hungarian Foreign Minister said.
He called Russia a reliable partner that always fulfills its contractual obligations.
" We truly take great care in our cooperation with our Russian partners and colleagues in the energy sector . Why? Based on our experience, our Russian colleagues have never let us down. Deliveries have always been on time. If we needed more, they provided more. If we needed less, they provided less. Contract terms have always been met. And my only question is, why would we suddenly terminate this relationship ?" Szijjártó concluded.
Brussels won't force Hungary to stop buying Russian energy resources, Szijjártó says.