Sibyga Criticized Hungary’s Decision Not to Join the 'Carpathian Eight'

Sibiha criticized Hungary's decision not to join the Carpathian Eight.

Hungary's Prime Minister Peter Szijjártó stated that Budapest did not accept Ukraine's invitation to join the new international format C8 — cooperation of Carpathian region states. Hungary also does not plan to create a joint strategic fuel reserve despite a memorandum signed between Naftogaz and the Hungarian Mol Nyrt.

In response, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha criticized the statements by the Hungarian prime minister and compared his position to the policies of former prime minister Viktor Orbán.

“We are surprised by the unfounded confrontational statements of the Hungarian prime minister toward Ukraine,” Sybiha noted.

The head of the Foreign Ministry emphasized that the Carpathian Integration Initiative is aimed at the development of the entire region. According to him, it should promote welfare, connectivity, and the realization of mutually beneficial projects in the eight Carpathian countries.

Sybiha noted that Kyiv does not understand the reasons why Budapest rejected participation in the format and the creation of a joint fuel reserve.

Separately, the minister called the Hungarian prime minister's statements strange, which cast doubt on direct, pragmatic, and mutually beneficial cooperation between the energy companies of the two countries that they had already agreed upon.

“When politics interferes with pragmatic business interaction, nothing good comes of it,” Sybiha said.