Hungary Threatens to Veto Bulgaria Schengen Accession Over Transit Fee

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Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said Hungary would veto Bulgaria's accession to the European Union's passport-free Schengen zone if the country didn't scrap higher transit fees applied to gas delivered from Russia in an interview excerpt posted on Facebook on Saturday, according to a report by state news wire MTI.

"We've made it clear to the Bulgarians that…if they continue to endanger Hungary's secure supply of energy, then we will veto their Schengen membership," Szijjártó said.

"As that decision will be taken in the coming week, they're suddenly trying to repeal that law. If they really do repeal the law, then we will naturally take back our decision on the related veto," he added.

Hungary has argued that the higher transit fee Bulgaria has levied on its gas from Russia is tantamount to a customs tariff, prohibited on the EU's common market.

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