Photo: Facebook / Szijjarto Peter
The contract will be signed by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Siyarto (left) and Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller
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This decision is detrimental to positive results and trends in bilateral Ukrainian-Hungarian relations, according to Kiev.
Ukraine is surprised and disappointed by Hungary’s decision to sign a new long-term contract with the Russian concern Gazprom to supply gas bypassing Ukrainian territory. This is stated in a statement Foreign Ministry, unveiled on Monday 27 September.
“We consider this an exclusively political, economically unjustified decision taken to please the Kremlin and to the detriment of the national interests of Ukraine and Ukrainian-Hungarian relations, does not comply with the principles of the Treaty on the Foundations of Good Neighborliness and Cooperation between Ukraine and the Hungarian Republic of December 6, 1991,” statement.
The Foreign Ministry emphasizes that it will be more profitable for Hungary to receive gas in transit through the extensive gas transportation system of Ukraine, which allows uninterrupted supply of gas to European countries by the shortest route.
“We note with regret that this decision is detrimental to the positive results and trends in bilateral Ukrainian-Hungarian relations, for the achievement of which a lot of effort and energy have been made personally by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Hungary Dmytro Kuleba and Peter Siyjarto,” the statement says.
The Foreign Ministry recalled that the fifth meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Ukrainian-Hungarian Commission on Economic Cooperation, co-chaired by the foreign ministers of the two countries, was to take place in Budapest on September 29-30. The Ukrainian side carefully prepared for it, reasonably hoping that this event would be another positive step in bilateral relations.
“Today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine initiated the postponement of the Commission meeting to a later date, since the Hungarian-Russian gas agreement will have a significant impact on the energy security of Ukraine and Europe, creates new circumstances that require a comprehensive analysis of risks and threats, as well as coordinated actions of the countries of the region, so that to minimize its negative consequences, “the press service said.
Ukraine will also apply to the European Commission to provide an assessment of the compliance of the new Hungarian-Russian gas agreement with European energy legislation.
As a reminder, at the end of August it was reported that Hungary and Russia reach a new agreement on gas supplies, which will enter into force on October 1, 2021. It is designed for 15 years with the possibility of changing the volume of gas purchases in 10 years. Gazprom will annually supply 4.5 billion cubic meters of gas to Hungary via Serbia and Austria. The contract is to be signed on September 27 in Budapest.
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