VIENNA, March 15. /TASS/. New sanctions of the European Union against Russia will affect neither Hungary’s energy supply nor its joint energy projects with Moscow, including the construction of the Paks 2 nuclear power plant, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Tuesday.
He was commenting on the EU decision to adopt the fourth package of sanctions against Russian companies and individuals.
"Hungarian energy supply is secure", the minister said in his video address on Facebook. He stressed that Hungary will show solidarity with other EU members but the Hungarian people "should not pay the price" for sanctions against Moscow imposed due to Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
"Energy security of Hungary is the red line for us" that should not be crossed, Szijjarto said.
He added that Hungary will continue to receive Russian gas, and the Hungarian energy company MOL will continue to work in Russia, including the development of the Baitugan oil field (Orenburg region).
The sanctions should not affect the construction of two new units of the nuclear power plant in Paks, about 100 kilometers south of Budapest. "Sanctions will not do any harm" to this project, which is being carried out with Russian participation, the minister said.
About joint projects
Last September, Hungary signed two long-term contracts with Gazprom, which provide for the supply of a total of 4.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year through pipelines going through Serbia and Austria, bypassing Ukraine. The agreement was concluded designed for 15 years and can be reviewed 10 years after the start of implementation. However, in its current form, it will not meet all of Hungary's needs for Russian gas, the rest will have to be purchased from Gazprom through its trader on a short-term basis. Therefore, Budapest would like to increase gas supplies through Serbia by 1 billion cubic meters per year. This issue was discussed by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban during his visit to Moscow in early February.
As for Paks 2, it is expected that the construction of the second stage of the plant will begin after the issuance of all necessary permits by the national atomic energy agency.
Currently, there are four power units with VVER-440 type reactors at the nuclear power plant built according to the Soviet project on the banks of the Danube. It is planned that two new VVER-1200 reactors will be launched by the end of this decade. The Hungarian government hopes that, together with the development of solar energy, this will allow the country to become independent from electricity imports.