BUDAPEST, March 10. /TASS/. Hungarian authorities are imposing a ban on the export of oil and certain petroleum products over rising global energy prices due to the Middle East tensions. The country's Economy Minister Marton Nagy has said that the government took this decision to protect the interests of Hungarian citizens.

He noted that a price cap on gasoline and diesel fuel had previously been announced. "Moreover, the government is imposing a ban on export of crude oil, 95-octane gasoline, and diesel fuel, and it will take the most decisive measures against illegal trade in these products," according to Nagy’s statement released by Budapest.

Apart from the war in the Middle East, Ukraine's oil blockade of Hungary has become a major reason for such measures. Russian oil has not been flowing through the Druzhba pipeline to Hungarian refineries since January 27.