Hungarian FM says discussed energy supply issues with Russian Deputy PM Novak

BERLIN. Jan 24 (Interfax) - Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Thursday that he had discussed energy issues with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak over the phone.

"Alexander Novak, the Russian deputy prime minister in charge of energy, and I discussed regional energy problems in a phone call today," Szijjarto said on the Facebook social media platform (an information resource of Meta Platforms Inc., designated as extremist and banned in Russia).

A number of states in Central Europe have encountered problems due to the stop of Russian gas transit via Ukraine, he said. However, Budapest has made efforts over the past few years to safeguard its supply of energy resources, he said.

"The transportation of oil and natural gas to Hungary continues in an uninterrupted manner, and deliveries via the TurkStream pipeline are setting new records. That is why, we have reaffirmed our commitment to protection of this transport route," Szijjarto said.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban called on the European Union on Thursday to secure low energy prices for people in Europe, also criticizing Brussels' demand that Budapest must stop buying Russian oil and gas.