Hungary negotiates gas purchase with Egypt

Hungary and Egypt will sign a strategic partnership agreement aimed at cooperation based on mutual benefits in the areas of the nuclear industry, higher education, economy and energy supplies, the minister of foreign affairs and trade said in Cairo on Tuesday.

Péter Szijjártó said the agreement would be signed at a meeting between Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi later in the day.

“Egypt and Hungary have been in long-term cooperation based on mutual respect, with both countries profiting a lot in the recent period,” Szijjártó said.

During their official visit in Cairo, the Hungarian delegation will sign several agreements including one on nuclear cooperation aimed at an exchange of experience, training experts and student exchange programmes, Szijjártó said. He noted that the two countries were simultaneously completing a nuclear plant project using the same technology and contractor.

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Szijjártó also announced the start of negotiations on buying liquefied natural gas from Egypt to be used in Hungary from 2026, thus increasing the country’s energy security.

Under another agreement, Hungarian companies would be granted preferential conditions for launching projects in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, the minister said.

According to Szijjártó, higher education cooperation with Egypt will also be promoted, with the number of scholarships at Hungarian universities for Egyptian students increasing from an annual 115 to 200.

Concerning the Ukraine war, Szijjártó said “Egypt is also in the peace camp … urging a diplomatic solution”. The country is “part of the global majority, which undoubtedly falls outside Europe, but which is eager to see the war in Ukraine to end,” he said.

Szijjártó is also scheduled to meet local Muslim and Coptic Christian leaders, and he praised Egypt for making it a priority “to make the Christian community an integrated part of society, helping them preserve their religious heritage”.

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Source: MTI