Honestly satisfied with the Russians
‘We consider it our duty to guarantee the country’s energy supply in the long term. Cooperation with Gazprom not only guarantees us competitive prices, but also security of supply,’ explained Hungary’s chief diplomat in the plenary session of the international forum.
There is no better partner than Gazprom
The wrong decisions made by EU headquarters in recent years had cut the Community off from easily accessible, relatively inexpensive eastern raw materials without offering a realistic alternative. In Brussels and many European capitals, the supply of energy sources is now seen as an ideological issue. In return, it is tacitly accepted that European companies now have to pay three times as much as their US competitors for gas and even five times as much for electricity.
Hungary views the necessary diversification of energy sources in such a way that existing, reliable sources can only be replaced if better alternatives become available. ‘However, we are satisfied with the cooperation between Russia and Hungary, between Gazprom and MVM. So far, Gazprom has honoured all contracts, deliveries have been punctual and when we have needed more natural gas in an emergency, we have also been able to reach an agreement quickly.’ He continued: ‘Nobody has yet been able to make us a better offer. Nobody offers cheaper raw materials more reliably. So why should we change partners?’
Ukraine can no longer blackmail
If Ukraine does not extend its transit agreement with the Russians, this will not be a problem for Hungary ‘because we once had the courage to develop an alternative route that transports Russian gas to Hungary via Turkey, Bulgaria and Serbia, against all threats and friendly advice from our allies’. Under enormous political pressure, Hungary concluded a new 15-year long-term gas supply contract with Gazprom in 2021. This year, Hungary is purchasing 6.7 billion cubic metres of natural gas in this way, and in 2025 the aim is to order a volume that will fully utilise TurkStream’s capacities.
The West is hypocritical
In response to questions from journalists, Szijjártó emphasised that the Orbán government is being put under pressure from outside. ‘But it is not our job to satisfy those who are putting us under political pressure. We have to guarantee the country’s secure energy supply,’ he emphasised. He once again referred to the hypocritical West, which wants to cut Hungary off from Russian gas, while more and more Russian liquefied gas is landing in the overseas ports at the other end of the continent. The same is happening with crude oil, which Western Europeans are now buying more expensively via India. ‘Hungary has neither seaports nor large oil and gas fields of its own. This means that only long-term contracts offer us security, not the spot markets.’