Hungary has opened a new consulate in Japan
Hungary has opened a consulate in Osaka, one of Japan’s most vital economic hubs, a move expected to significantly strengthen economic, political, and people-to-people ties between the two nations, announced Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, on Thursday at the inauguration.
First Central European country to establish a consulate
At the opening ceremony, Szijjártó emphasized that dividing the world into blocks is harmful, while connectivity and global cooperation based on mutual respect are invaluable—though it may sound like an oversimplification. He highlighted Hungary and Japan’s long-standing partnership founded on mutual respect and called the Osaka World Expo a perfect opportunity to deepen these bonds. Marking a milestone, Hungary becomes the first Central European country to establish a consulate in this dynamic city.
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Szijjártó pointed out that the Kansai region’s economic output rivals countries like Switzerland and Türkiye, with many of the 181 Japanese companies operating in Hungary headquartered there. Notably, Osaka is home to Japan’s only university with a Hungarian studies department and an institute renowned for applying the globally acclaimed Hungarian developmental method, the Pető Method.
Leading the ongoing technological revolution
He remarked that the new consulate will be instrumental in boosting ties across business, politics, and cultural exchange:
- more than 30,000 Hungarians currently work for Japanese firms in Hungary,
- and Hungary has strategic partnership agreements with seven major Japanese companies.
Finally, Szijjártó stressed Hungary’s ambition to lead the ongoing technological revolution, with Japan as a key ally. He announced a commitment to intensify cooperation in three critical fields—peacebuilding, space exploration, and nuclear industry—underscoring the need for personal presence despite advances in artificial intelligence. “No matter how widespread AI becomes, human connections and face-to-face interactions will always remain irreplaceable,” he concluded.
Szijjártó highlighted need for nuclear energy
Szijjártó said nuclear energy was the only “cheap, reliable, safe and sustainable” source of energy that could meet the global increase in demand for electricity, addressing a business seminar in Osaka on Thursday.
In a statement released by his ministry, Szijjártó said Hungary and Japan would cooperate on the further development of nuclear energy. He added that a decision had been taken to step up cooperation in other crucial areas, such as space technology, too.
Szijjártó is in Japan with a delegation of executives from Hungarian companies in the food, software and sustainable infrastructure development industries.
Trade between Hungary and Japan stands around USD 2.5bn a year. Around 180 Japanese companies employ some 30,000 people in Hungary.
Szijjártó warns against politicising energy supply
Politicising and ideologising the issue of energy supply can be very dangerous as it is a purely physical and geographical issue, Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said in a panel discussion of the Osaka World Expo on Thursday.
In a statement issued by his ministry, Szijjártó was quoted as saying that the composition of the national energy mix was clearly a national competence and a matter of sovereignty, adding that sanctions cannot threaten the energy supply of any country.
Szijjarto said global demand for electricity would continue to increase in the future, largely due to the spread of electric vehicles, the growing demand for cooling and heating systems and the construction of large data centres required by artificial intelligence, adding that the only way to generate sufficient electricity in a safe, reliable, cheap and environmentally friendly manner would be through the use of nuclear energy.
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East-West cooperation
The minister said it was regrettable that nuclear energy was still subject to political and ideological attacks. He went on to say that nuclear energy was the best way to restore civilised East-West cooperation in the world, citing the example of Hungary where major Russian, US, German and French companies of the sector were all present.
In addition to Russia’s Rosatom, French and Germany subcontractors are also working on the upgrade of the Paks nuclear power plant, and an agreement was signed recently on the exclusive use of US technology for small modular reactors, he said.
Answering a question, Szijjarto said that if the appropriate technology becomes available, Hungary might be interested in installing some small modular reactors to supply the biggest industrial centres with energy. This could be necessary because Hungary has become a leader in the production of electric cars and electric batteries, and these require a lot of electricity, he added.