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Hungary expects Ukraine to ensure Russian oil transit — top diplomat

Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó noted that Ukraine “has increased the transit fee several times, which means that oil imported from Russia is becoming more expensive”

UNITED NATIONS, September 23. /TASS/. Budapest expects Kiev to continue ensuring Russian oil transit, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said in an interview with TASS following a meeting with top Russian diplomat Sergey Lavrov.

"What is most important for us is the safety of supply. So we do count on Ukraine fulfilling its contractual obligations and we will ensure the transit of Russian oil to Hungary in the future as well," he pointed out.

However, the top Hungarian diplomat noted that "Ukraine has increased the transit fee quite some times, unfortunately, which means that oil imported from Russia is becoming more expensive."

When asked about Russian gas supplies, Szijjarto said that "the already contracted volumes will be enough to be prepared for the winter." According to him, if Hungary needs more gas, the country "will be able to discuss that issue" as there is a pattern of reaching agreements on increasing gas supplies.

Hungary continues to receive Russian oil through the Druzhba (or Friendship) pipeline, getting Russian gas through the TurkStream pipeline and its branches running through Bulgaria and Serbia. Largely thanks to the efforts of the Hungarian government, oil and gas supplies continue via these pipelines and Russia’s nuclear energy sector has not been affected by the sanctions that the European Union introduced on Moscow due to the conflict in Ukraine.