The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary, Péter Szijártó, announced new agreements to ensure the country’s permanent access to Russian energy sources, which is a sign of the continuation of the country’s diplomatic and trade relations with Moscow against the background of the war in Ukraine, reports Guardian and Reuters.

Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Szijjártó said Russian state energy giant Gazprom would retain an option to supply additional gas to Hungary this year on top of supplies agreed under the long-term deal, Reuters reported.

According to him, the price of the gas that will flow to Hungary through the Turkish Stream pipeline will be capped at 150 euros per cubic meter as part of the agreement, which provides for a delay in payment if prices exceed this limit.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has maintained good relations with Moscow over the past decade and avoided personal criticism of President Vladimir Putin, despite condemning Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

After talks with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak in Moscow, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijarto also announced on his Facebook page that the Hungarian oil and gas group MOL will pay transit fees directly to the Ukrainian pipeline operator Ukrtransnafta for the supply of crude oil through oil refinery “Druzhba”.

Ukrtransnafta has informed Russian pipeline operator Transneft of its plans to raise the commission it charges for oil transit, sources told Reuters late last month.

Szijjarto is visiting Moscow for talks after the outbreak of war in neighboring Ukraine, despite criticism from both sides of the Atlantic.

Landlocked Hungary gets 80-85% of its gas from Russia, and Szijjarto said about 80% of its crude oil imports came from Russia last year.

While Western European countries have made serious efforts to wean off Russian gas, Hungary receives 4.5 billion cubic meters of gas a year from Russia under a 15-year deal signed in 2021.

Gas is mainly supplied through the Turkish Stream pipeline, which allows Moscow to bypass Ukraine to transport Russian gas to Southern Europe.

“Gazprom keeps the option that if we need it, to prepare for the winter or to fill the warehouses… we can buy additional gas up to the volume set in the long-term agreement,” Sijarto said.

Hungary and Russia have not disclosed the possible volume of additional gas that Moscow may supply this year.

“Gazprom will consider the possibility of deliveries of non-contractual volumes of natural gas to Hungary in 2023 and the application of payment deferrals for these deliveries,” Gazprom said in a statement, News.ro reports.

Sijarto said Novak had assured him that gas supplies through the Turkish Stream pipeline would continue without interruption.

According to data previously published by Bulgarian gas transport operator Bulgartransgaz, Turkstream will be closed for maintenance from June 5 to 12.

Szijjarto also said that the Russian state nuclear power company Rosatom has agreed to amend the contract originally signed in 2014 for the expansion of Hungary’s Paksh nuclear power plant.

Rosatom received a contract to build two 1.2 GW VVER reactors to four existing reactors without an international tender.

According to the Hungarian minister, changes will be made to the construction and financing contracts of the long-delayed project, and the European Commission will have to approve these changes. He did not provide further details.