The foreign minister of Hungary has attacked Britain, France and other European powers for what he described as their "hypocritical" stance on Russia.

Peter Szijjarto accused western European nations of condemning President Vladimir Putin on the one hand while at the same time conducting "big business" with Moscow.

"These double standards. This hypocrisy which is applied when it comes to the co-operation or the relationship with Russia is really frustrating," the Hungarian diplomat said.

"To be honest we are fed up with it."

Hungary's relationship with Russia has caused concern among some EU members.


Image: Hungarian PM Viktor Orban and Russia President Vladimir Putin

Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister, and Mr Putin last month announced an increase in energy agreements following a meeting.

Mr Szijjarto said it was wrong for EU allies to portray Hungary as having close ties in Russia because in reality, he claimed, they were doing the same.

"Those countries that are fighting for such sanctions [against Russia] are making the biggest businesses in Russia," the Hungarian foreign minister said.

He was speaking at the sidelines of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg where a new sanctions regime against countries that use chemical weapons was adopted.

Britain and France pushed for the move in the wake of the Salisbury nerve agent attack blamed on Russia and the use of chemical weapons in the Russia-backed war in Syria.

"EU member states are making huge business with Russia," Mr Szijjarto said.

"Western European companies are making huge business with Russia. Double standards and hypocrisy should be avoided."

He said he would like to see an improvement in relations between the EU and Russia, which have chilled in the wake of Mr Putin's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Image: Foreign minister Peter Szijjarto (L) with British foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt

Britain and its allies have also called out Russian cyber attacks and exposed hostile cyber operations by the country's military intelligence agency, the GRU.

"If you look at current global developments it is obvious that it is in our interests to rebuild a pragmatic, normal co-operation between Europe and Russia based on common sense, based on mutual trust and based on respect towards international law," the Hungarian minister said.

He said he would like to see "economic co-operation" between the two sides that stretched from Lisbon to Vladivostok.

"I hope that international situation allow us to come back to this strategy."