Hungary proposes EU lift anti-Russia sanctions due to Iran war

The EU should immediately lift the ban on the use of Russian oil and gas in all EU countries to prevent a shortage of energy and a sharp increase in prices due to the Middle Eastern tensions, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said following urgent meetings of the defense and energy security councils convened by Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

"In the current situation, the European Union must take immediate action. To prevent a sharp price increase, it is necessary to immediately lift the ban on imports of Russian energy in all regions of Europe," Peter Szijjarto said.

The minister noted that "if Brussels doesn’t lift the ban on Russian oil and gas imports, if it doesn’t lift sanctions", it will deal an extremely hard blow to the European economy because energy prices are on the rise.

He noted that the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, among other things, resulted in the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 33% of the world’s marine oil shipments and 20% of liquefied natural gas supplies were carried out.

"A significant part of oil is withdrawn from the global market because of the war in the Middle East...At the same time Europe is experiencing shortages of oil and other energy resources not only because of the war in the Middle East but also because of the exclusion of Russian energy resources," Peter Szijjarto said.

The minister stressed that there will be a risk of sharp price increases in Europe, "if Brussels does not allow Russian energy resources to return to the European market."

The diplomat urged Brussels to "to act immediately, without ideological prejudices, relying on the interests of the peoples of Europe and the European economy."