In regards to the passing of the European Union's sixth package of sanctions on Russia, Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said “it was a long fight but it was worth … [resisting] pressure and the mainstream’s demand that we abandon our national interests, and it was worth enduring the false accusations of many European politicians and journalists.” The package exempts pipeline deliveries of Russian oil from the embargo, which will ensure Hungary’s energy security, Minister Szijjártó said. “Had we not fought the way we did, supplying Hungary with crude oil would have become impossible and the economy would have ground to halt.” Meanwhile, Hungary also succeeded in having Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, removed from the sanctions list, he said. “This was a matter of principle for us as we insist on protecting religious freedom as much as national interests,” he said. “It would be terrible to imagine the processes launched by sanctioning the leader of one of the largest Christian churches in Europe,” he said.
Photo credit: Facebook/Szijjártó Péter