Hungarian PM: Polish Deputy Minister May Have Left Hungary Via Serbia, LNG Talks Ongoing
Developments in Polish-Hungarian Political and Energy Relations
Background on the Polish Deputy Ministers
WARSAW, May 20 (Reuters) - A former Polish deputy government minister wanted on charges of misusing public funds may have left Hungary via Serbia, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said in an interview with private broadcaster TVN24 shown late on Tuesday.
Magyar is in Poland for a two-day visit, and the question of how former Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro and his deputy Marcin Romanowski, who are both wanted by prosecutors in Warsaw, managed to leave Hungary before he took office may come up in talks on Wednesday.
Ziobro and Romanowski, who prosecutors say misused money from a fund designed to help victims of crime and targeted political opponents with spyware, had been given asylum in Hungary by Magyar's predecessor Viktor Orban.
Current Status of Zbigniew Ziobro and Marcin Romanowski
Ziobro is in the United States and Reuters reported on Monday that U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau instructed senior State Department officials to facilitate and approve a visa for him.
However, the whereabouts of Romanowski remain unclear.
Statements from Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar
"From what I understand, Ziobro... left through the Schengen Area about a day before my inauguration," Magyar, speaking through a translator, told TVN24, referring to the European Union's passport-free zone.
"I just spoke with my colleagues, and... there are signs that Mr Romanowski also left through Serbia, but this information is not yet confirmed."
The Serbian foreign ministry did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment outside office hours.
Energy Cooperation and LNG Talks
Planned Meetings and LNG Access
POLAND TO OFFER ACCESS TO LNG
Magyar will meet Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Karol Nawrocki in Warsaw on Wednesday. Magyar and Tusk will then travel to the northern port city of Gdansk where they will meet former president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lech Walesa.
Warsaw plans to offer Budapest access to U.S. LNG via a new Gdansk terminal due to start operations in 2028, a source with knowledge of the matter said. Orlen has already been selling U.S. LNG to Ukraine.
Hungary's Position on LNG Pricing
However, Magyar told TVN24 that Hungary wanted to see lower prices for gas that arrives as LNG.
"It's not yet a great, competitive price," he said. "We would be the happiest if there was a lower transit fee, or if the European Union could be persuaded to make the gas arriving via LNG more competitive."
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Alan Charlish; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
