A Hungarian delegation has arrived in Kyiv to examine the condition of the Druzhba oil pipeline and push for the resumption of oil deliveries, the Parliamentary State Secretary of the Hungarian Ministry of Energy said on Wednesday.
Speaking yesterday at a press conference before crossing the border at the Záhony border crossing between Hungary and Ukraine, Gábor Czepek said the mission aims to represent Hungarian interests in negotiations and help restart the pipeline as soon as possible.
The state secretary said the Hungarian government believes maintaining access to affordable eastern energy resources is crucial, arguing that a broader supply base provides greater security for Hungarian consumers and helps maintain the country’s policy of protecting household utility prices.
According to Czepek, the delegation plans to hold substantive discussions not only with Ukrainian energy officials but also with ambassadors based in Kyiv and representatives of the European Commission. He argued that reopening eastern energy sources could be key to addressing Europe’s broader energy challenges.
Czepek noted that the crisis in the Middle East has increased pressure on global energy markets, prompting Hungary to draw on strategic reserves and introduce protected energy prices for households and businesses.
At the same time, he described the reopening of the Druzhba oil pipeline as a strategic priority for Hungary and urged Europe to reconsider its current energy policy and reopen access to eastern supplies.
The state secretary said the initiative has also gained regional support. The delegation previously held talks in Bratislava with Slovak energy sector representatives and government officials, after which Slovakia agreed to join the fact-finding effort, turning it into a joint Hungarian–Slovak initiative.
The two countries also sent a joint letter to the European Commission outlining their assessment of the situation, including the geographic and energy supply conditions of both states, and arguing that examining the pipeline’s condition and enabling its restart would be justified.
A separate letter was also sent to Ukraine’s deputy prime minister responsible for energy affairs, requesting that Kyiv either reopen the pipeline or allow an inspection of its current state.
‘Our delegation is crossing the border and heading to Kyiv to discuss this letter and hold meaningful negotiations,’ Czepek said, adding that the matter is increasingly not only a Hungarian but also a broader European concern.
The delegation includes, alongside the state secretary, an oil industry expert, a government official experienced in international relations and an energy market analyst.
‘The crude transported through the system belongs to a Hungarian company’
Czepek also stressed that Hungary does not accept the suspension of oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline, arguing that the crude transported through the system belongs to a Hungarian company and is not subject to either European Union or United States sanctions.
He added that the pipeline is strategically important for Hungary. Processing Russian Urals crude delivered through Druzhba ensures the country’s fuel supply, while its price advantage compared with western oil has saved Hungary roughly 650 billion forints over the past four years, helping finance the government’s utility cost protection scheme.
Later on Wednesday evening, Czepek announced in a video published on his Facebook page that the delegation had arrived in Kyiv.
‘We have arrived in Kyiv, and there is quite a commotion around our delegation,’ he said in the video. He noted that the mission had been officially announced in advance, something also confirmed by Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó.
Czepek added that the delegation is looking forward to holding substantive discussions about the Druzhba oil pipeline and said he had heard that several European Union ambassadors accredited to Kyiv were also interested in the mission’s work.
‘We are facing some exciting days ahead,’ he said.
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