Szijjártó: We will continue providing reverse gas supplies to Ukraine

"We will continue providing reverse gas supplies to Ukraine. We have already [provided] 14 billion cubic meters," Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said at a joint briefing with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba in Budapest, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

Szijjártó also spoke about the readiness to invest in the economy and infrastructure in Zakarpattia region in western Ukraine.

"The President of Ukraine and the Government of Ukraine plan large investments in Zakarpattia region, and we will be glad to join, which is why we have now signed a tied aid loan agreement," the Hungarian minister added.

In addition, he noted that Budapest was ready to continue the "economic program of development of Zakarpattia."

"We are interested in good neighbourliness," Szijjártó assured.

According to PJSC "Ukrtransgaz", about 1 billion cubic meters of gas was supplied from Hungary to Ukraine in 2016; 2.8 billion cubic meters – in 2017; 3.4 billion cubic meters – in 2018.

According to the data of new operator – the Operator of the Gas Transmission System of Ukraine LLC (OGTSU), for the first three months of 2020, gas imports from Hungary amounted to 0.5 billion cubic meters (up 58% compared to the corresponding period last year).

Since the beginning of May 2020, gas imports from Hungary have increased fivefold. As a result, Hungary edged out Slovakia, which was Ukraine's main source of gas since 2014, and became Ukraine’s largest gas supplier. This was announced in early May by the Director General of OGTSU Serhiy Makohon.

According to him, this happened due to the launch of a possibility of virtual reverse gas supplies between Hungary and Ukraine from May 1.

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