“Hungary is calling for the negotiations on the renewal of the strategic partnership between Hungary and Azerbaijan to be successful, because the use of natural gas from Azerbaijan is the most likely scenario for the diversification of Europe’s gas supply”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in a statement to Hungarian news agency MTI concerning his official visit to Baku on Friday.
The Minister told the press that he had met with the Azerbaijani Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Ministers for Economy and Agriculture. During the visit, a cooperation agreement was included between Hungary’s Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy, in addition to which the existing cooperation agreement between the Balassi Institute and the University of Languages in Baku was also extended.
“Hungary remains a committed supporter of tighter relations between Azerbaijan and the alliance systems of which Hungary is also a member, and accordingly Hungary firmly supports the renewal of the strategic partnership between Hungary and Azerbaijan in view of the fact that the transport of Azerbiajan natural gas to Europe and Central Europe ‘is the most likely scenario’ for the diversification of Europe’s gas supply in the mid-term”, he explained.
“The first shipment of natural gas from Azerbaijan along the gas pipeline built in the direction of Turkey began at the end of May, and it is now up to Europe to perform the required infrastructure development projects to enable Azerbaijan gas arriving in the Southeast European region to reach Central Europe”, Mr. Szijjártó stated. “Ten billion cubic metres will currently be arriving in the Southeast European region from Azerbaijan, and this quantity is expected to double within a few years’ time thanks to the extraction of more natural gas from another gas field”, he pointed out.
The Foreign Minister also spoke about the fact that Hungary is currently NATO’s Contact Point Ambassador to Azerbaijan, which has further increased its participation in NATO missions, and in addition military personnel from Hungary and Azerbaijan are serving together in NATO’s mission to Afghanistan. “The reinforcement of this cooperation also serves the security interests of all of NATO, including Europe”, he said.
On the subject of bilateral relations, Mr. Szijjártó said that major progress has been made with relation to agriculture and food industry cooperation in view of the fact that Hungary’s Export-Import Bank is financing the construction of a 17 million euro greenhouse investment project by a Hungarian and Azerbaijani company, and this project will be followed by others, also with the involvement of Hungarian enterprises.
“One of Europe’s busiest airlines, Azerbaijan-based Silk Way, recently relaunched its air route between Budapest and Baku, thanks to which the transport of goods between the two countries has become significantly easier”, he said. “In addition, a Hungarian energy drink has occupied first place on the Azerbaijan energy drink market”, Mr. Szijjártó told the press with relation to yet another business success.
(MTI)
