Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said on state television on Sunday, the 22nd of October, that Gazprom plans to supply additional gas to Hungary in the coming winter and will supply an additional 600 million cubic metres of gas to China this year, exceeding its current contractual commitments, reported Reuters citing the TASS news agency.
As a result of the war in Ukraine the European Union (EU) as a whole has significantly reduced its dependence on Russian energy resources. However, Gazprom’s chief executive has said that additional gas supplies to Hungary this year amounted to 1.3 billion cubic metres.
“And we have an agreement that we will continuously supply additional volumes in the coming winter,”
he said, adding that demand from China also exceeds the contracted level. Alexey Miller stated that they have consistently been supplying additional volumes to the Chinese market over several years. He believes that this year, the extra volume totals will 600 million cubic meters of gas, TASS quoted him as saying.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has maintained friendly relations with Russia since the invasion of Ukraine, making Hungary the only EU member state with such a stance.
Orban assured Putin during their meeting in Beijing on Tuesday, the 17th of October, that Hungary aims to maintain relations with Russia. This meeting drew criticism from the US Ambassador to Hungary and the Estonian Prime Minister.
Hungary is seen as the main potential opponent in the upcoming EU decision in December on whether to open EU accession negotiations with Ukraine, which requires unanimous support from all 27 EU Member States.
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