FM Szijjártó: Hungary proud that it attracts Chinese, Japanese, South Korean, Turkish, German, American, Austrian investors

Hungary is ready for wide-ranging strategic cooperation with Turkic states, Peter Szijjarto, the foreign affairs and trade minister, said at an informal meeting of foreign ministers of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Budapest on Wednesday.

Era of dangers

“We are ready for this in all areas,” he said. “We’re increasing our trade turnover, welcoming more students and encouraging mutual investments.”

In the current “era of dangers”, Eurasia and Central Asia’s importance, he said, had grown significantly in terms of energy security, the economy and trade routes.

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Turkic states, he added, contributed greatly to Hungary’s security as exporters of energy, noting last year the start of Azerbaijani and Turkish shipments of natural gas and Hungarian oil and gas company MOL embarking on natural gas production in Kazakhstan.

A ministry statement quoted Szijjarto as calling it “an honour” that the OTS is holding its summit for the first time in Europe and in Hungary, which has observer status in the organisation.

Hungary: an East-West hub, says Szijjártó

He noted that when Hungary’s prime minister paid a visit to Azerbaijan, “the West” slammed Hungary. “Now the same people … are jostling others aside, trying to take selfies with your leaders,” he said.

Szijjarto underlined Hungary’s role as an East-West hub in pursuing “economic neutrality” and attracting Chinese, Japanese, South Korean and Turkish companies alongside German, American and Austrian investors.

Turkic countries, he said, would play “a key role in this strategy”. In recent years, “Hungary has benefitted hugely from cooperation with the Turkic states, and we would have missed out on many opportunities for economic development had we not cooperated with you.”

Since Hungary joined the Turkic organisation as an observer, trade turnover between Hungary and the Turkic states “has doubled”, hitting five billion dollars, he said.