HUNGARY EXPECTED TO BUY US LNG
The official added that Hungary would also diversify its energy purchases and had committed to buying US liquefied natural gas with contracts valued at some US$600 million.
Hungary has maintained its reliance on Russian energy since the 2022 start of the conflict in Ukraine, prompting criticism from several European Union and NATO allies.
Speaking in Washington late on Friday, Orban also said Hungary had received an indefinite exemption for energy imports via the TurkStream gas pipeline and the Druzhba oil pipeline.
“There are no sanctions that would restrict Hungary’s supply through these routes or make it more expensive. This exemption is general and has no time limit,” Orban said.
International Monetary Fund figures show Hungary bought 74 percent of its gas and 86 percent of its oil from Russia in 2024, warning that an EU-wide cutoff of Russian natural gas alone could cost Hungary more than 4 per cent of its GDP.
Orban said that, without the agreement, energy costs would have surged, hitting the wider economy, pushing up unemployment and generating “unbearable” price rises for households and firms.
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Source: CNA
