Hungary’s role in preventing a Transnistrian crisis
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto claims that, at Russia’s request, Hungary helped prevent a humanitarian crisis in the Transnistrian region.
Only afterward did Budapest consult with Moldova’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The government in Chișinău, however, maintains that Russia deliberately created the crisis.
When contacted by Moldova 1, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated only that they had coordinated with Budapest to ensure all legal conditions were met.
Peter Szijjarto also met with Christian Hafenecker, secretary of Austria’s pro-Russian Freedom Party (FPO). During their joint press conference, he criticized Ukraine, claiming that Kyiv was jeopardizing Europe’s energy security. He reaffirmed Budapest’s opposition to renewing economic sanctions against Russia, set to expire in June. Szijjarto insists that Russia requested Hungary’s humanitarian assistance.
"Russia’s deputy prime minister for energy contacted me a few weeks ago. He told me that a humanitarian catastrophe was unfolding in the Transnistrian region. This does not involve gas extracted in Hungary but rather a natural gas trading company owned by Hungarian investors. Ultimately, this company signed a contract for gas deliveries to Transnistria, and with Hungary’s involvement, a severe humanitarian crisis was averted," Szijjarto said.
Following Gazprom’s halt in gas supplies, MET Group resumed deliveries to Transnistria, having started purchases a week earlier. The government in Chișinău authorized a daily flow of three million cubic meters through Moldovagaz, with payments covered by a company from the United Arab Emirates for a period of 16 days.
The separatist administration in Tiraspol had previously rejected humanitarian aid from the European Union, which was intended to support public energy needs. It now claims that gas supplies are being financed through a Russian loan.
MET Group is a European energy trading company founded in 2007 as a subsidiary of the Hungarian mixed-capital company MOL. In 2011, MET Group relocated its headquarters to Switzerland, and in 2018, it separated from MOL, with the management team led by Benjamin Lakatos acquiring a majority stake.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
