The head of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry reminded those who criticized him that it would be warm in their homes

BUDAPEST, Oct 10 – PRIME. Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Economic Relations Peter Szijjarto reminded opposition politicians and journalists who criticize him for meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that their homes, unlike other European countries, will be warm in winter.

“I can only say that so far Gazprom has supplied us with everything that it promised. Maybe others don’t, but I shouldn’t think about others. They (Russia) supplied the amount that I agreed with them on energy issues,” Szijjártó said on the air of the Hungarian HírTV.

Szijjarto noted that he was criticized in the liberal media for meeting with Lavrov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. “My question is, if I don’t meet him there, who can guarantee that we can agree with Gazprom on a deferred payment? Or who guarantees that Gazprom … will supply 5.8 million cubic meters of gas daily? Therefore when excellent opposition colleagues write that it was stupid, let them think that when others do not have heating, they will have it in their apartments. Because someone had to agree on this,” he stressed.

According to Szijjártó, he considers meetings in diplomatic circles “a means to do better for the country.” “In my opinion, what is foreign policy for, if not for this?” he added.

Earlier, Szijjarto expressed regret that he was the only EU representative who met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, according to him, the EU needs to use every opportunity for dialogue with Russia.

The Hungarian company MVM said earlier that it had concluded an agreement with Gazprom to defer payment for gas due to sharp fluctuations in prices for the upcoming winter period.

Szijjarto visited Moscow in July, a week after the Hungarian government declared a state of emergency in the energy sector, where he held talks with Lavrov to discuss the supply of additional volumes of Russian gas to the Hungarian market. According to Lavrov’s results, Hungary’s request will be immediately considered. In mid-August, Gazprom began delivering gas in excess of the established contracts. Later, Szijjarto announced that an agreement had been signed with Gazprom, according to which, from September 1, an additional 5.8 million cubic meters of gas would be supplied to the country daily through the Turkish Stream and Serbia.