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US confirms Hungary to be exempted from sanctions against Russian companies — Szijjarto

The top Hungarian diplomat stressed that Hungary will continue to have a reliable supply of energy

BUDAPEST, November 21. /TASS/. Washington has informed Budapest that Hungary will be exempted from the US sanctions against Russian energy companies that are taking effect on November 21, Hungarian Foreign Affairs and Economic Relations Minister Peter Szijjarto told reporters following a working visit to Brussels.

Szijjarto recalled that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and US President Donald Trump agreed at a meeting in Washington on November 7 that the US would grant Hungary an exemption from US sanctions imposed on Russian energy companies.

"Our American partners informed us that as of today US decisions exempting Hungary from sanctions on oil supplies [from Russia] come into force," the Foreign Minister said at a press conference broadcast by the M1 television channel. He stressed that, thanks to this agreement, Hungary will continue to have a reliable supply of energy.

On October 22, the US Department of the Treasury included Rosneft, Lukoil, and their subsidiaries in a new package of anti-Russian sanctions, which would take full effect on November 21. The United States believes the restrictions it has imposed will serve as a lever of pressure on Moscow over the conflict in Ukraine. The Hungarian government noted that new US sanctions against Russian oil and gas companies could harm the interests of the country, which continues to receive the bulk of its energy supplies from Russia under long-term contracts.

Furthermore, restrictions imposed by the Biden administration, which hinder Russian gas supplies to Europe, remain in effect. At a meeting at the White House, Orban convinced Trump of the need to grant Hungary an exemption from sanctions that could hinder supplies through the Druzhba oil pipeline and the TurkStream gas pipeline.

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