Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has reiterated that Budapest will prioritize its “national interests” in energy and foreign policy following discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting on Wednesday, Szijjarto stated he and Lavrov had “been working together for more than 11 years now” and that it was “business as usual” to meet at major international gatherings.
“I emphasized that Hungary is interested in peace emerging as soon as possible because we have been living in the vicinity of the war for three and a half years now. We have endured the consequences of this conflict for too long,” Szijjarto said.
The minister criticized the European Commission for failing to protect member states’ interests following recent attacks by the Ukrainian army on the Druzhba oil pipeline, which supplies Hungary and Slovakia.
“Instead of safeguarding our energy security, they issued lectures. And you know this is a scandal, I think,” he remarked. “When the Ukrainian army attacked the Druzhba pipeline, they clearly understood that this would jeopardize Hungary’s energy security. Targeting Druzhba inflicts far less damage on Russia than on Hungary and Slovakia.”
Szijjarto argued that EU institutions have long attempted to replace Hungary’s government.
“We are unsettling for Brussels because we are a non-mainstream government. We are a patriotic government. We represent our own national interest. We are not willing to fully align with directives if it contradicts our national interest,” he stated. “Our national interest lies in ensuring the safe energy supply to Hungary.”
He underscored that pressure from Brussels to sever ties with Moscow would not influence Budapest, reiterating that Hungary views Russia as a reliable oil and gas supplier and intends to continue energy cooperation.
Szijjarto also welcomed ongoing dialogue between Moscow and Washington, noting Lavrov had mentioned a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “I believe this is the best news we could receive today because as long as high-level contacts persist between Russia and the United States, there remains hope we can avoid the worst-case scenario and prevent further conflict,” he said.