Ukraine reduces gas supply to Hungary

Ukraine has notified Hungary that it would reduce the transfer of Russian gas to Hungary from a daily 38 million cubic metres to 30 million cubic metres on Monday, Hungary's Energy Minister Csaba Molnar said.

Gas deliveries from Ukraine to Hungary began to decline at 4 p.m. on Monday, Molnar said after a meeting of the Gas Supply Crisis Committee on Monday evening. Janos Zsuga of MOL Foldgazszallito, the transmission unit of Hungarian oil and gas company MOL, told MTI that Ukraine would provide information regarding Tuesday gas deliveries between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Tuesday morning.

Gyurcsany was notified of the planned cut in a letter from Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko. Hungary does not accept Ukraine's move, but also rejects Yushchenko's suggestion that the European Union should mediate in this matter, Molnar said.

Molnar added that the fallout would not cause supply problems in Hungary, as gas reserves can be used. Hungary has gas reserves of 3.1 billion cubic metres, and there is an additional 500 million cubic metres of gas in strategic supplies, which have not yet been touched, Molnar said.

A part of the transport from Ukraine - 11 million cubic metres - Hungary by contract sends on to Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, Molnar said. Hungary does not wish to break these obligations, he added.

Hungary's gas consumption is estimated at 70-74 million cubic metres for Monday, he said.

Hungary's ambassadors to Ukraine and Russia have been instructed to cut their holidays short and return to Kiev and Moscow, foreign affairs spokesman Lajos Szelestey announced.

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