Hungary Wants to Extend Relief from Sanctions to Import Russian Oil for Slovnaft

Budapest, July 3 (TASR-correspondent) - Hungary will ask the European Union for a one-year extension of an exemption from sanctions against Russia that allows the Slovnaft refinery in Bratislava to export refined products made from Russian oil to the Czech Republic, said Hungarian Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto on Monday following a meeting with Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Wlachovsky. Szijjarto pointed out that Slovnaft is owned by Hungarian group MOL and added that MOL needs another year to complete investments at its Slovnaft refinery. These investments will enable the refinery to switch from processing Urals oil from Russia to using oil from elsewhere. "One more year is needed to make these investments, so we're asking the EU to extend by a year the exemption from sanctions that allows MOL and Slovnaft, which is part of the group, to export refined products made from Russian oil to the Czech Republic," said Szijjarto. Hungarian company MOL, which is the main buyer of Urals oil in Hungary and Slovakia, allegedly bought approximately 900,000 tonnes of Urals oil transported through the Druzhba pipeline in June after purchasing 750,000 tonnes in May. The EU imposed an embargo on imports of Russian oil by sea in December. However, it allowed Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic to continue importing Russian oil as a critical raw material. In the event of a halt to supplies via the Druzhba pipeline, it would be difficult for them to obtain enough oil for their refineries. am/df