BUDAPEST, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Hungary is set to release 250,000 tonnes of crude oil from the country's strategic reserves to ensure an uninterrupted fuel supply for domestic and regional consumers, the Energy Ministry said on Thursday evening.
This volume accounts for around 40 percent of the total reserve and must be replenished by Aug. 24, according to a government decree published in the official gazette.
Under the decree, the crude oil released from reserves will be made available, with priority access granted to the Hungarian oil and gas company MOL, until mid-April. The ministry said the released quantity is sufficient to cover needs during the transitional period.
The ministry said the technical conditions for restarting crude deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline have been in place since early February, but shipments remain suspended indefinitely.
In a statement, the ministry accused Ukraine of attempting to pressure Hungary by refusing to resume crude oil deliveries, saying the decision "threatens the security of supply for domestic and regional consumers."
As a proportional countermeasure, Hungary has halted diesel exports to Ukraine and is considering further response measures, the statement said.
Earlier this week, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said diesel shipments to Ukraine would not resume until crude oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline is restored.
The Druzhba pipeline, which transports Russian oil to Central Europe via Ukraine, has faced repeated disruptions since last year amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. ■