BUDAPEST, June 3. /TASS/. Budapest is wary of Russia taking countermeasures against the EU after European prohibitive tariffs on Russian supplies of grain and other agriculture products were introduced, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said.
Asked why Hungary spoke against the recent decisions made by the EU, he said: "Regarding criticism on the fact that I did not vote for introduction of European tariffs on some Russian and Belarusian agriculture goods, let’s have a look at the situation. Many Hungarian agriculture and food companies have very serious operations in Russia. Revenues from export of many Hungarian food and agriculture companies flow to Russia. If the European Union introduces prohibitive tariffs for Russians in the agriculture sector now Russians will respond."
"Now my question is why I should not promote the interests of Hungarian companies when it may concern Russia’s countermeasures. Unfortunately, there is a risk that now the operations of those Hungarian companies will be much more complicated or become impossible at all," he told a press conference broadcast by the M1 TV channel.
On May 30, the EU Council approved prohibitive tariffs on grain imports from Russia and Belarus. The decision will come into force from July 1, Executive Vice President of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis said.
According to a European Commission document, the tariffs cover wheat, maize, sunflower seeds and derivatives, as well as animal feed. The tariff could be as high as 95 euro per ton, or about 50% of the price of wheat on the European market (193 euro per ton as of March 15).