In a statement put out by the Hungarian Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry, Peter Szijjarto reacted to the remarks by the Finnish and Latvian heads of state, who said that Hungary and Slovakia should immediately halt Russian oil and natural gas imports. “It is truly astonishing that European leaders—in this case, national presidents—are unable to understand that each country’s geographical position determines where it can purchase energy resources from,” he emphasized.
“You can fantasize about buying gas and oil from places where there are no pipelines, but you cannot heat homes, heat water, or run factories with fantasies,” he continued.
Szijjarto added that there is a certain “discreet charm” in Baltic and Nordic countries, which have coastlines, lecturing Hungary about their “success” in phasing out Russian energy sources.
They forget one 'very small detail': Hungary is a landlocked country. We do not have a seacoast where we could quickly build an LNG terminal or an oil refinery,
he pointed out with irony.
Every Northern and Baltic president can be sure of this: our duty is to guarantee Hungary’s energy supply. We will not give up our energy security, and we will ensure energy supplies for the people and businesses in Hungary,
he underlined.
At a joint press conference, Finnish President Alexander Stubb stated that Hungary and Slovakia should immediately cease purchasing Russian energy resources. Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics agreed, citing his own country’s experience with phasing out such supplies.
Cover photo: Hungary's Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto (Source: Facebook)
