Historic moment: Hungary returns to the sea – Hungarian Trieste port construction started, PHOTOS

Although the Hungarian government talked about buying a port in Italy’s Trieste in 2018, they only acquired a territory where a port can be built. The construction project started, and Levente Magyar, Hungary’s deputy foreign minister, shared some details about it in a video in which he briefed the Italian press. The main message is that the port will start operation in 2028 instead of 2026, a date promised by FM Szijjártó before. Furthermore, Hungary will build a 650-metre-long seafront for the boats coming and going to serve the export needs of the Hungarian companies.

Hungarian Trieste port construction started

According to Mr Magyar, the new port will operate at full capacity by 2028. At least that is what the Hungarian News Agency (MTI) wrote based on his address at a press conference following a walkthrough on the site. However, in a video shared by the local intrieste.com, Magyar said that the Hungarian government would like the port to be operational by 2028. “We can then upgrade it gradually”. The confusion about the deadlines and dates is not unusual concerning the Trieste port development project. In 2022, FM Szijjártó promised the port would be operational by 2026.

The Hungarian government announced 7 years ago that they would like to buy a port on the Adriatic to help Hungarian companies export their products. The inclusion of the Trieste area was announced in 2019, and the Orbán cabinet said they already concluded the transaction. They did so only in 2020. Afterwards, the project was frozen, although the salaries at Adria Port Ltd, the state-owned Hungarian company responsible for the project, rose.

The area the Hungarian government bought is not a port (although the official communication was about obtaining a port), but a wharf and an industrial zone with ongoing legal proceedings. However, it seems the Hungarian government could overcome the difficulties because Deputy FM Levente Magyar travelled to Trieste to meet his Italian counterpart, Edoardo Rixi, and announce the start of the construction project.

“This marks a turning point for a project that is strategic to the growth of this territory, leveraging its access to the sea as a key advantage,” said Pierpaolo Roberti, Regional Councillor for Local Autonomy, who joined Mr Rixi and Mr Magyar for the on-site visit.

Port and logistics centre

According to the MTI, Magyar said the 30-hectare area under development had 650m of seafront. First, they will build a 250-metre-long seafront by filling the sea with 50 thousand cubic metres of dirt. In the second phase, they will extend that area by 400 metres to create the full 650-metre-long seafront where boats can dock. Finally, the Hungarian government would like to build a 30-hectare logistics centre with buildings required for maritime and trade operations.