Moscow meeting centers on oil and the Druzhba pipeline as Hungary seeks energy assurances
Vladimir Putin received Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto at the Kremlin in moscow as the pair focused on oil and gas supplies after Hungary said shipments through the Druzhba pipeline had been halted. The visit underscored Hungary’s push for guarantees that hydrocarbons will continue to flow despite disruptions linked to the conflict in Ukraine.
Moscow meeting at the Kremlin drew senior officials
The meeting was attended on the Russian side by Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov, First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov and Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov. Hungary was represented at the meeting by Peter Szijjarto and Hungary’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Russia, Norbert Konkoly.
Putin told Szijjarto that, while trade turnover had declined by 13 percent last year, overall relations were "stable and are developing positively, " and he highlighted energy policy, including hydrocarbons and the "flagship project – the Paks Nuclear Power Plant. " On hydrocarbons, Putin said Russia had "always fulfilled all our obligations" and that it intends and is prepared to continue doing so.
Hungary pressed for assurances on Druzhba pipeline deliveries
Szijjarto said Hungary was concerned about every war and every conflict and described energy security as "of paramount importance. " He told Putin that Ukraine had been blocking supplies through the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary for several weeks and that oil shipments had been halted "as a result of this political decision. " He said Hungary was seeking confirmation that natural gas and oil would remain available and continue to be delivered.
Szijjarto stressed that reliable access to oil and natural gas "allows us to keep utility costs low" and warned that without those supplies, utility prices would rise significantly. The minister framed the pipeline and other supply routes as crucial for Hungary’s domestic energy and cost concerns.
Trade, politics and the wider conflict were on the agenda
Putin noted he had spoken with Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán "just yesterday about certain issues. " The two leaders also touched on the broader effect of the four-year conflict in Ukraine: the Russian text states the war "has now lasted four years" and that the conflict has led to mobilisation and Hungarian citizens going missing.
The Kremlin meeting reaffirmed the active role of the intergovernmental commission, which Putin said is chaired on the Hungarian side by Szijjarto and is working actively to maintain the momentum in bilateral relations despite current challenges.
Officials left the Kremlin with a clear emphasis on keeping lines of communication open over hydrocarbons and energy projects. The intergovernmental commission’s ongoing work was presented as the next channel for discussing the practical details of supplies and projects between the two countries.
