Budapest and Russia's state-owned gas company Gazprom are in talks on additional purchases next year, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in an interview with Kremlin-run RIA Novosti published on Oct. 15.
The move would likely increase Hungary's reliance on Russian gas despite the EU's efforts to wean itself off Russian supplies.
"Basically, we will increase the volumes. We have already signed one (agreement) for the last quarter of this year, which covers additional (gas) volumes at a price that ensures competitive prices," Szijjarto said.
"We are currently negotiating a deal for next year." This agreement will include greater volumes thanks to the capacity of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline, running from Russia to Europe through the Black Sea, the minister noted.
Budapest is broadly seen as the most Moscow-friendly country within the EU and NATO, repeatedly obstructing aid to Kyiv and sanctions against Russia. Szijjarto has also repeatedly visited Russia throughout the full-scale war, a step that his European colleagues avoided.
Hungary receives roughly 4.5 billion cubic meters of Russian gas on an annual basis under a 15-year deal signed in 2021. Gazprom and Hungary's MVM energy company signed a memorandum of understanding on increasing gas supplies at a forum in St. Petersburg on Oct. 10.
Budapest is also a major buyer of Russian oil, and one of the few countries in the EU granted an exemption to continue buying pipeline oil via the Druzhba pipeline.
According to Szijjarto's comments from June, Russian fossil fuel supplies cover roughly 70-80% of Hungary's yearly demand.
While the EU has reduced dependency on Russian gas, some of it keeps flowing to Europe through pipelines and as LNG, with the sales profits feeding Russia's war against Ukraine.
Kyiv has said it will not extend the deal allowing the gas transit to the EU through its territory past its December 2024 expiration date. Europe and Ukraine are in talks with Azerbaijan about alternative gas supplies.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
