BUDAPEST, November 13. /TASS/. The European Commission will present the draft 12th package of anti-Russian sanctions to the EU countries this week, Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations, Peter Szijjarto announced on Monday.
"At a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, we received information that the European Commission’s proposal for a new package of sanctions against Russia will be presented to member states this week," Szijjarto at a meeting with Hungarian reporters, which was broadcast on his Facebook page (banned in Russia, owned by Meta Corporation, recognized as extremist in Russia).
As Szijjarto noted, he considers the introduction of the 12th package of sanctions "without any comprehensive analysis of the consequences of the first 11 packages" unjustified. He believes that the restrictive measures did not achieve the goal that was stated by the EU, but only caused damage to the European economy, since "the Russian economy was not brought to its knees, and peace in Ukraine did not come closer."
The minister said he is not yet familiar with Brussels’ latest proposals for the 12th package, but Budapest still opposes restrictions on nuclear cooperation with Moscow.
"Hungary will not support any sanctions against the nuclear industry, as this would mean abandoning the security of the Hungarian energy sector," he reiterated.
Szijjarto recalled that approval of a new block of restrictions against Russia will require a unanimous decision of all EU countries. According to preliminary data, the package does not provide for sanctions against organizations and enterprises of the Russian nuclear industry. As Szijjarto noted, one of the types of restrictive measures in this package will likely affect the Russian diamond industry.