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Hungary will not support energy sanctions against Russia — minister

This applies not only to oil and gas imports but also to cooperation with Russia in nuclear energy, Peter Szijjarto specified

VIENNA, April 7. /TASS/. Hungary opposes an embargo on energy supplies from Russia, including fuel for nuclear power plants, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Thursday.

"We do not support proposals for energy sanctions against Russia," he said in a video message posted on Facebook (banned in Russia, owned by the Meta corporation, recognized as extremist in Russia). Szijjarto clarified that this applies not only to oil and gas imports but also to cooperation with Russia in nuclear energy, in particular, fuel supplies for the Paks Nuclear Power Plant in Hungary.

The minister said that introducing any bans and sanctions in nuclear energy is a "red line" for the Hungarian government, because of its goal of guaranteeing the country's energy security. He said that this week Russia delivered fuel for the Paks Nuclear Power Plant for the first time by plane, bypassing Ukraine.

Szijjarto said on Wednesday that Hungary is working on a technical solution to paying for Russian gas supplies in rubles. Answering a question about paying for gas in rubles, the Hungarian Foreign Minister said that his country would have to fulfill "its first payment obligation to Gazprom" at the end of May, and a technical solution is being worked out.

In September 2021, Hungary signed two long-term contracts with Gazprom for the supply of a total of 4.5 bln cubic meters of fuel per year through pipelines through Serbia and Austria, bypassing Ukraine. The agreement is set for 15 years and can be reviewed 10 years after its implementation.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin requested moving payments for gas supplies to unfriendly countries to rubles, saying that Moscow would refuse accepting payments on such contracts in discredited currencies, including dollars and euros.

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