Hungary, Slovakia want to send inspectors to Ukraine to assess state of Druzhba pipeline - Orban

BERLIN. Feb 27 (Interfax) - Hungary and Slovakia want to send a team of specialists to Ukraine to assess the state of the Druzhba oil pipeline, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday.

Orban said on the Facebook social network (an information resource of an entity banned in Russia) that he had agreed with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on setting up a joint "fact-finding commission to assess the state of the Druzhba oil pipeline."

"I am urging Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky to allow Hungarian and Slovak inspectors to pay a visit and resume Druzhba's operation," he said.

As reported earlier, Hungary suspended diesel fuel supply to Ukraine after Russian oil transportation to Hungary and Slovakia by the Druzhba pipeline, which passes through Ukrainian territory, stopped on January 27. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto described Ukraine's decision as political blackmail.

The European Commission proposed that Hungary and Slovakia temporarily receive oil through the Adria pipeline. Supply is scheduled to begin in April.