Ukraine plans to begin importing natural gas from Europe, through Hungary and Slovakia, in the first quarter of 2013, Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Eduard Stavitski said Feb. 7, Interfax reported.

The Hungarian Embassy in Damascus suspended its operations Dec. 5 and Hungarian diplomats left Syria, according to a Hungarian Foreign Ministry statement, Reuters reported.

Final deals on investment in the South Stream gas pipeline have been decided, Gazprom officials said, The Wall Street Journal reported Nov. 8.

Hungary unveiled new austerity measures Oct. 17 that almost double a savings package announced two weeks ago that the European Union was not satisfied with, EU Business reported.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius met Sept. 24 to discuss bilateral relations, EU agenda issues and energy security, The Baltic Course reported. After the meeting, Kubilius announced the establishment of a Lithuanian-Hungarian forum for scholars and intellectuals, along with the signing of a pact on youth cooperation.

Hungary plans to cut several thousand state jobs and wants to freeze public-sector wages through 2015, Bloomberg reported Sept. 14, citing the Magyar Hirlap newspaper.

Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian suspended diplomatic relations and all official ties with Hungary at an Aug. 31 emergency meeting with the representatives of foreign diplomatic missions in Armenia, RIA Novosti reported.