Hungary has signed its longest-ever liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply agreement with French energy giant Engie, in a step officials say will strengthen the country’s long-term energy security.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced the deal on Thursday in Budapest following the signing between state energy firm MVM CEEnergy and Engie Energy Marketing Singapore, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Under the agreement, Hungary will import 4 billion cubic meters of LNG between 2028 and 2038, with annual deliveries of 400 million cubic meters.
“This represents the longest-term LNG contract in Hungary’s history and will serve as an important pillar of our energy security in the coming years,” Szijjarto said.
The minister stressed that the agreement comes at a time when global conflicts and crises have disrupted supply chains, driven up prices, and exposed vulnerabilities in transport routes. “The main problem is that in recent times, the question of energy supply has been fully politicized and turned into an ideological matter,” he noted.
Szijjarto highlighted that Hungary has invested hundreds of millions of euros in recent years to expand interconnections with six of its seven neighboring countries, thereby broadening its supply options.
He also said that diversification means gaining access to multiple sources and routes, not abandoning existing arrangements. Hungary and Slovakia, both landlocked European Union members, remain heavily dependent on Russian oil and natural gas.
For Hungary, energy security is tied to sovereignty, he noted. “We insist on making our own choices regarding the steps necessary to guarantee Hungary’s energy supply. We will not accept external pressure, coercion, or additional war premiums in this matter,” Szijjarto said.