Orbán gives instructions to his delegation in Ukraine during phone call
Photo: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (Getty Images)
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has decided to personally coordinate the actions of his delegation sent to Ukraine for talks on restarting the Druzhba oil pipeline as soon as possible, according to Orbán's post on his Facebook.
In the published video, the Hungarian Prime Minister speaks via video link with Hungary’s State Secretary at the Ministry of Energy, Gábor Czepek, who arrived in Ukraine a day earlier as part of the delegation.
During the conversation, Orbán gives instructions on the next steps and urges him to secure a meeting with Ukrainian government officials or organize a visit to the site where the Druzhba pipeline was damaged.
Orbán says the Hungarian delegation should document their attempts to reach an agreement with Ukraine and resolve the situation with oil supplies.
He also advised the delegation to keep reminding the Ukrainian side about their presence and to "be polite."
The Hungarian Prime Minister also called on the delegation to arrange a visit to the damaged section of the pipeline, either by coordinating with the Ukrainian side or "through the high embassy."
In response, Czepek said the delegation has a chance to make progress in negotiations because it plans to meet with representatives of the United States and diplomats from the European Union.
During the conversation, Orbán also joked that "negotiations can be held with everyone except the Ukrainians."
The visit of the Hungarian delegation to Ukraine
Yesterday, March 11, it became known that a group from Hungary, led by State Secretary Gábor Czepek, arrived in Ukraine to assess the condition of the Druzhba oil pipeline and restore oil transit to Hungary.
At the same time, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said that this group of officials does not have any official status or scheduled meetings in Ukraine, so calling them a delegation is incorrect.
In turn, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was not aware of what the Hungarian government group led by Czepek was doing in Ukraine.
