Orban to seek agreement on gas supplies during Putin visit

Budapest, January 30 (MTI) – Prime Minister Viktor Orban trusts that an agreement on long-term gas supplies will be reached with Vladimir Putin during the Russian president’s visit to Budapest on February 17.

Orban told public Kossuth Radio on Friday that the current contract with Russia would expire this year, which means that energy supplies for the economy or households would not be ensured after 2015. “That is the issue I need to solve,” the prime minister said. He noted that expert talks on the subject are under way in preparation for Putin’s visit.

Concerning the European Union’s sanctions against Russia, Orban said that those measures are in conflict with Hungary’s interests. As an EU member, however, Hungary has subordinated its interests to a common European position, which could help resolve the Ukraine crisis, he added.

There are no problem areas in Hungarian-German cooperation, Orban said and added that he sees great potential for Hungary in the Eurasian economic cooperation plan.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit in Budapest next week will attract attention to the long-lasting and stable friendship and strategic cooperation between the two countries that is likely to continue in the future, Orban said.

Answering a question, the prime minister said he did not expect critical remarks from Merkel. “How could a country criticise another belonging to the same community?” Orban asked.