Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó emphasised the tight Hungarian-French cooperation within the field of energy security and in the fight against terrorism on Tuesday in Paris.
At an press conference broadcast online from the French capital following a meeting with his French counterpart, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, Mr. Szijjártó said that Hungary is on the same side as France with relation to a host of international political issues that are important to it, and the two countries are fighting together for certain goals.
The Minister said Hungary and France both agree that decisions on energy supply must remain within a national sphere of competence. He emphasised that nuclear energy is important to both countries, as a result of which they are jointly fighting to combat negative discrimination with relation to nuclear energy. “The two states regard it as a grave violation of their sovereignty for someone to want to decide from outside what forms of energy supply they should utilise”, he added. Mr. Szijjártó said the fact that two French companies, Alstom and Framatome, have been given a very important role in the construction of the new Paks Nuclear Power Plant, within the fields of control engineering and turbine construction, is an important point of cooperation within the field of nuclear energy.
Hungary’s chief diplomat highlighted the fact that the two countries are also cooperating closely in the fight against terrorism. “Terrorism is one of the root causes of migration processes”, he said. “If we can be successful in the fight against terrorism, them we will be able to close the migration routes towards Europe, or at least reduce the migration pressure aimed at Europe”, the Minister said. “The Western Balkan migration route is particularly significant to Hungary from this perspective, while resolving the situation in Libya is of prime importance to France”, he pointed out.
Mr. Szijjártó said the further development of economic cooperation is a common interest. He explained that France is the fourth largest investor in Hungary, with the 500 French enterprises currently operating in Hungary providing jobs to some fort thousand people. He said the parties are ready to deepen cooperation within the field of the defence industry. He pointed out that the Hungarian Defence Force is purchasing 36 Airbus helicopters, while Airbus is establishing a helicopter sub-unit assembly plant in Gyula, where it will be employing 200 people.
The Minister said the space industry is a further area of cooperation with major prospects. “There aren’t many countries in Europe in which the space industry plays an important role”, he stated, explaining that the French companies that are designing the world’s largest fleet of satellites has involved Hungarian suppliers in the development and shipping of certain pieces of equipment. He also highlighted the fact that there are almost seven hundred French students currently attending Hungarian universities. Mr. Szijjártó began his one-day trip to France in Toulouse, where he visited the French space agency, the National Centre for Space Studies (CNES).
(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)
