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28 Dec 2022, 17:15

Hungary to ask EU to reconsider anti-Russian sanctions — prime minister’s adviser

It is added that the sanctions are in place for a limited period, and they are not extended automatically

BUDAPEST, December 28. /TASS/. Hungary plans to raise the issue of re-examining the sanctions imposed on Russia over the Ukraine conflict to the European Union leadership, Balazs Orban, the Hungarian prime minister’s political adviser, said in an interview with the online newspaper Index on Wednesday.

"The sanctions are in place for a limited period, and they are not extended automatically. They have already been in effect for eight to ten months, so it is high time for talks in Brussels about which sanctions make sense and which do not, as it is evident to everyone that by preserving them, we are simply shooting ourselves in the foot," Orban said.

"We do call for discussions on this issue," the prime minister’s adviser said, adding that the national consultations on sanctions, which were held in Hungary from mid-October to mid-December, would strengthen the Hungarian government’s stance in negotiations with Brussels.

"We do not support any sanctions. We do block certain sanctions for the sake of European unity, but when Hungary’s vital interests are at stake, we either fight for exemptions, or obstruct the adoption of sanctions. So far, this has been Hungary’s position," Balazs Orban explained.