BUDAPEST, November 17. /TASS/. Hungarian energy companies may be interested in buying Lukoil’s assets in Bulgaria that the Russian owner has to be sell because of sanctions imposed on it, Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto said.
"Lukoil enterprises are in the Russian ownership and their sale must be the subject matter of talks with this company. If we understand correctly, the US gave the respite of sanctions on the grounds that negotiations should be held on the sale of overseas assets of Lukoil, including in Bulgaria. Obviously Hungarian economic entities in the energy sector can be interested in such talks. If they require support, then we will support them because efficient functioning and regional strengthening of Hungarian energy companies can be attributed to national economic interests," the minister said.
Szijjarto did not specify Hungarian companies that might show interest in buying overseas assets of Lukoil. In particular, MOL owns large refineries in Hungary and Slovakia.
On October 22, the US Department of the Treasury included Rosneft, Lukoil and 34 subsidiaries of these companies into a new package of US sanctions.