Hungarian FM discusses bilateral cooperation in Kazakhstan – UPDATE
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Hungary’s main opportunities for advancing ties with Kazakhstan lie in the oil industry, agriculture and water management, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told MTI on the sidelines of his talks in Astana on Monday.
Szijjártó is on a tour of Central Asia as part of preparations for Hungary’s takeover of the rotating presidency of the Visegrad Four group, which also includes the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia.
The minister said advancing ties between central Europe and Central Asia will be one of the most important tasks of the Hungarian presidency.
After years of negotiation, Hungarian oil and gas company MOL has been given an opportunity to begin the exploitation of a major oil field in Kazakhstan together with Kazakh and Chinese companies, Szijjártó said, adding that the oil field could produce 45,000 barrels a day within a short timeframe.
In addition, Hungary and Kazakhstan have set up a 40 million euro agricultural investment fund through which Hungary will export agriculture and food industry technology to the Central Asian country, the minister said.
Szijjártó also said that Budapest waterworks Fővárosi Vízművek is in talks to develop and modernise the water management of a number of major cities in Kazakhstan. Urbanisation is moving ahead at a rapid pace in the country and its public works must keep up with the process, he said.
The minister said bilateral trade was expanding apace, noting that it had multiplied six-fold in the first quarter of this year. The main reason for this is that Hungary has significantly increased its oil imports from Kazakhstan while also raising its drug exports to the country, he said.