Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced on his social networks that he traveled to Moscow to engage in high-level energy discussions with Russia’s top energy official and its deputy prime minister. The purpose, as stated, was to review the most critical cooperation issues needed to safeguard Hungary’s energy security. The minister indicated that initial talks would take place with Alexander Novak, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation responsible for energy matters, followed by a meeting with Alexei Likhachev, the head of Rosatom, the country’s atomic energy corporation.
Rosatom is overseeing the ongoing development of the Paks-2 nuclear power project in Hungary, a major expansion that involves the addition of new nuclear generating units to the existing facility. The project has been a focal point of bilateral energy discussions, reflecting Hungary’s aim to diversify supplies and strengthen long-term energy reliability through nuclear capacity additions in cooperation with Russian partners.
In parallel, Szijjarto’s communications highlighted Hungary’s stance on sanctions related to Russia’s nuclear sector. In conversations with Deputy Prime Minister Novak, a commitment was conveyed to pursue guidance on how the sanctions framework affects Hungary’s energy arrangements. The Hungarian side signaled a desire to preserve and advance their nuclear energy collaboration within the broader European energy security context, while navigating the evolving policy environment in relation to Russia’s role in European energy markets.
The exchanges in Moscow underscore a broader regional pattern where Hungary seeks to balance supply security with political and economic considerations tied to its energy strategy. Officials emphasize the importance of stable energy flows and domestic energy resilience as central elements of national policy, even as external factors shape the negotiation landscape surrounding nuclear infrastructure, international sanctions regimes, and long-term power generation plans. Attribution: Official statements from the Hungarian government and relevant Russian energy authorities indicate the continuing emphasis on nuclear energy cooperation as a component of Hungary’s energy security framework.