'Tourists, not a delegation': Ukraine on Hungarians arriving for Druzhba pipeline talks
Photo: Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Heorhii Tykhyi (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Hungarian citizens who arrived in Ukraine for talks on the Druzhba oil pipeline do not have the status of a delegation and have no scheduled official meetings, the spokesperson of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Heorhii Tykhyi, told reporters.
“We know that this morning, a group of Hungarian citizens entered the territory of Ukraine under the general rules for all citizens of the Schengen area, using the visa-free regime. Any individuals with a tourist purpose can enter Ukraine from Schengen countries in exactly this way,” Tykhyi said.
He noted that this group of individuals has no official status on the territory of Ukraine or scheduled official meetings, so it is definitely incorrect to call them a delegation.
“Citizens of other states may stay on the territory of Ukraine if they treat Ukraine with respect and follow the general rules of visiting, including for tourist purposes,” the MFA spokesperson added.
Hungarians came to Ukraine to talk about Druzhba pipeline
Hungarian state secretary of the Ministry of Energy of Hungary Gábor Czepek said today he was heading to Kyiv.
Along with him, an oil industry specialist, a state leader with experience in international relations, and an energy market analyst also traveled to Ukraine.
According to Czepek, the Hungarian delegation went to Ukraine to hold talks on restoring the operation of the Druzhba oil pipeline, as well as to check its condition.
The Hungarian team wants to hold talks not only with the Ukrainian government but also with a representative of the European Commission on restoring the Druzhba oil pipeline.
Before departing for Kyiv, the Hungarian delegation held talks in Bratislava with representatives of the Slovak energy market and government.
