BUDAPEST, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Hungarian government has requested an exemption from U.S. sanctions on Russia's Gazprombank to allow continued payments for natural gas supplies, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said on Wednesday in a video posted on his Facebook page from Brussels.

Speaking after a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) foreign ministers' meeting, Szijjarto said that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had signaled a willingness to consult with allies on the matter.

"It would have been better if this had happened earlier, but it didn't," Szijjarto told reporters.

He emphasized the challenges posed by the sanctions for Hungary, two other NATO members, and Serbia, citing the region's infrastructure limitations.

"Ending Russian gas imports would render safe energy supplies impossible in the affected countries," he said, highlighting the region's dependence on Russian energy.

The minister said that while Hungary is connected by gas pipelines to six of its seven neighbors, regional investments to diversify gas sources have not been sufficient to eliminate reliance on Russian gas.

"This measure risks putting allies in a difficult position," he said, adding that Hungary submitted its exemption request on Tuesday.

Szijjarto argued that the request is not unprecedented, pointing to similar exemptions granted to other Russian banks for uranium imports to support nuclear power operations in the U.S.

"I asked for the same consideration for Central and Southeastern European countries," he said. He also noted that Hungary is coordinating with Serbian, Slovak, and Turkish energy ministers to address the issue.

Despite these challenges, Szijjarto reaffirmed Hungary's commitment to supplying one-third of Ukraine's electricity imports. Enditem

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