PARIS, July 27. /TASS/. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has slammed the European Union’s sanction policy against Russia as disastrous for the European economy.
"The European Union’s sanction policy against Russia is a total failure. It has harmed the European economy much more than Russia’s. We must correct it as soon as possible," he said in an interview with the Les Echos newspaper.
When asked to comment on Hungary’s support for the 18th package of anti-Russian sanctions and the construction of a pipeline for Russian oil between Hungary and Serbia, he underscored that Budapest "has never considered energy as a political or an ideological issue." In his words, the European Union’s energy policy has deprived the community of its competitiveness and led to a price hike, while Hungary continues cooperating with Russia and considers it a reliable partner.
"If we are not allowed to use Russian gas or oil, out country’s energy security will be jeopardized," he explained, adding that the Hungarians "want to continue energy cooperation with Russia.".