Foreign minister meets Slovenian counterpart in Ljubljana

Budapest, January 22 (MTI) – Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto met Karl Erjavec, his Slovenian counterpart, ahead of a Hungary-Slovenia joint government session, in Ljubljana on Friday.

Szijjarto told MTI by phone that the upcoming session would open a “new dimension” in bilateral cooperation, with agreements on its agenda further strengthening ties between Hungary and Slovenia.

The six accords to be signed at the joint session include agreements to connect the gas pipelines and the electricity grids of the two countries, thereby increasing energy security and contributing to the completion of an integrated central European power network.

Connecting the gas pipelines of the two countries will result in a joint system with a capacity of 1.3 billion cubic metres and linking the electricity grids will contribute to creating an integrated grid for central Europe, he said.

By 2018, the M70 main road will be expanded to have two lanes in each direction, creating a continuous motorway link between Budapest and Ljubljana. The Budapest-Ljubljana railway line will be electrified along the entire route from the first half of this year and six new border crossings will be opened by 2020, including three for vehicles and three for cyclists, Szijjarto said.

Talks are under way on how Hungarian businesses can play a serious role in developing the Koper port and the connecting railway line, especially since Koper has become the most often used port for Hungarian businesses, he added.

“Additionally, on this day, we are opening a Hungarian consulate general in Lendava (Lendva) and a Hungarian cultural institute in Ljubljana”, he said.

In order to further boost economic and trade links between the two countries, the representatives of 138 Hungarian companies will participate in a Hungarian-Slovenian business forum to be held on Friday. For the same purpose, Eximbank has opened a 370 million euro credit line, he added.

Szijjarto said that by the end of October last year, there had been 5 percent twelve-month increase in bilateral trade, reaching 1.7 billion euros.

He added that the issue of the migration crisis was also discussed at the joint government meeting.

“Perhaps everybody has realised by now in Europe that we are defenceless if we do not protect the external borders. However, unfortunately words are followed by action in very few cases. There are very few countries that could indeed protect their external borders. Hungary is one of them. And in addition to having been able to protect ourselves, we are helping others. Here in Slovenia, our police are present in the largest number — a total of fifty — helping their Slovenian colleagues on the border. Additionally, we are present with thirty police in Macedonia and are also helping Greece to protect the common border,” Szijjarto said.

Photo: MTI

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters