Hungary sends Druzhba fact-finding mission to Ukraine, deputy minister says
BUDAPEST, March 11 (Reuters) - Hungary has sent a fact-finding mission to Ukraine to investigate the suspension of oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline, a deputy minister said on Wednesday, as Budapest pushes for a resumption of flows amid rising global prices due to the war in the Middle East.
Russian oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary and Slovakia have been suspended since late January after damage that Kyiv says takes time to fix.
The issue has become the focus of a diplomatic clash between Budapest and Kyiv, with hostile rhetoric towards Ukraine taking centre stage in veteran nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban's campaign ahead of an election on April 12.
Last month, Hungary vetoed new European Union sanctions on Russia and also a huge loan for Ukraine over the dispute.
"The government has set up the delegation that is expected to do a fact-finding mission on the Druzhba pipeline," Hungarian Deputy Energy Minister Gabor Czepek said in a video posted on his official Facebook page which showed him standing at the border with Ukraine.
"Our job is to assess the status of the pipeline and create conditions for its restart."
UKRAINE SAYS MISSION HAS NO OFFICIAL STATUS
Ukraine's foreign ministry said the Hungarian fact-finding mission had no official status and its members entered as tourists.
"This group of people does not have an official status or scheduled official meetings on the territory of Ukraine, so it is definitely incorrect to call them a 'delegation'," spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said.
Hungary and Slovakia, the only EU countries still importing Russian oil, have accused Ukraine of deliberately delaying the resumption of oil flows for political reasons.
Czepek said that Slovakia would also take part in the fact-finding mission, which has four members.
"The Middle Eastern crisis has raised the stakes, leading the Hungarian government to draw on strategic reserves and introduce protected prices," he said.
Orban announced a cap on fuel prices after an emergency government meeting on Monday and urged the EU to suspend sanctions on Russian energy.
Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Tuesday after meeting EU chief Ursula von der Leyen that they agreed oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline via Ukraine should be resumed.
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