Foreign Affairs Ministry of Hungary

Hungarian FM Szijjártó discusses situation in Syria with Israeli counterpart

FM Szijjártó discussed the situation in Syria with Gideon Sa’ar, his Israeli counterpart, on Monday, underlining that both countries’ interests lay in peace in the Middle East.

FM Szijjártó talks about the situation in Syria

“Our interests lie in ensuring that no extremist ideology or extremist group can take control of the region or any of its countries,” Szijjártó said on Facebook after talks with Sa’ar.

“We were also in agreement on the need to devote special attention to respecting the rights of religious groups and minorities and to their security,” he added.

Szijjártó said Hungary was paying especially close attention to the situation of Christian communities, providing them with humanitarian aid, and expected the international community to ensure that the rights of religious minorities are respected.

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December 10, 2024

New Israeli FM praised Hungary’s “correct stance” while meeting FM Szijjártó

New Israeli FM with FM Szijjártó correct stance

Israel’s new foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, has expressed his appreciation of Hungary’s “correct stance”, and he will soon pay a visit to Hungary, the foreign minister said in Valletta on Thursday.

“Concerning Israel, we consider it regrettable that several European leaders have made statements in the recent period that set back relations with Europe,” the ministry cited Péter Szijjártó as saying on Facebook after his meeting with Sa’ar.

“Hungary continues to urge the convening of a meeting of the EU-Israel Association Council which sufficiently emphasises the strategic character of relations between the EU and Israel,” he added.

The new Israeli FM Sa’ar visits Hungary soon

Szijjártó said the Israeli foreign minister expressed thanks for the chance Hungary has given Israeli soccer teams to play domesctic matches here, and he assured Sa’ar that Hungary continued to offer a safe location for the Israeli national team and Israeli clubs to play matches.

“In Hungary they need not fear scandalous scenes such as those unfortunately witnessed in western Europe as a result of the spread of modern anti-Semitism,” he said.

Meanwhile, Szijjártó said Hungary was dedicated to its support for respecting the Lebanon ceasefire as it greatly contributed to the protection of Christian communities. “The Israeli foreign minister will visit Hungary soon, in mid-January,” he added.

Read also:

FM Szijjártó continues peace mission: he negotiated with Lavrov in Malta

December 7, 2024

PM Orbán awards ‘Mr Russia’, Hungary interested in Russia’s new security system

Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s foreign minister, attended an international conference on a new Eurasian security framework, orchestrated by Russia. According to Russian FM Lavrov, Hungary was interested in the project, and the Hungarian foreign ministry has not denied that claim. Meanwhile, yesterday, PM Orbán decorated German businessman Klaus Mangold, who’s called ‘Mr Russia’ in his home country due to his exceptional relationships with Russia’s leaders, including President Putin.

New security architecture built by Russia

Based on a statement shared by Russian TASS, the Russian news agency, Mr Lavrov said Slovakia and Hungary were intrigued by the idea of a new security architecture for Eurasia even if the West is displeased. On Friday, Lavrov met FM Szijjártó in Valletta, Malta, to continue the so-called ‘peace mission’ the Hungarian government started after PM Orbán took the presidency of the Council of Europe in July. Lavrov and Szijjártó talked about how the war in Ukraine can be contained until Trump’s inauguration on 20 January. Furthermore, Szijjártó condemned the idea of lowering the conscription age in Ukraine. Instead, he said ceasefire and peace talks are required.

PM Orbán Putin in Moscow peace mission — *Orbán and Putin in Moscow on 5 July. Photo: FB/Orbán*

But it seems Hungary would support even more in that regard: Russia would like to spearhead building a new architecture of security in Eurasia. Lavrov said Hungary is interested in that, along with Slovakia. FM Szijjártó participated in the 2nd International Conference on Eurasian security in Minsk, “after which Russia and Belarus called for developing the Eurasian Charter of diversity and multipolarity in the 21st century”, TASS wrote.

“The conference in Minsk was attended by the Foreign Minister of Hungary (Péter Szijjártó – DNH), Slovakia displays its interest as well. I believe that other countries will see a direct benefit from this in terms of promoting their long-term interests and satisfying the needs of their people”, Lavrov said.

They will continue even if the West dislikes the idea

Lavrov highlighted that the West is displeased with the initiative, but Russia would continue nevertheless.

“Regardless of whether the West wants it or not, the process of building a new architecture of security is moving forward full steam, and is already based not on the Euro-Atlantic concept, but on the understanding that the single Eurasian continent currently provides opportunities for everyone to equally safeguard everyone’s interests and build the very indivisible security, which was proclaimed in the OSCE, but was destroyed by the actions of the West. First and foremost, thanks to NATO’s reckless eastward expansion”, Lavrov concluded.

FM Szijjártó and Russian FM Lavrov peace mission — Lavrov and Szijjártó in Valletta yesterday. Photo: FB/Szijjártó

Portfolio.hu wrote that the Hungarian foreign ministry has not commented on the issue. Before, PM Orbán and other government officials regularly cleared that Hungary’s pro-NATO commitment was unquestionable.

PM Orbán decorated “Mr Russia”

On Thursday in the Carmelite Monastery, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán awarded the Middle Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit to Klaus Mangold, owner-managing director of Mangold Consulting GmbH and former chairman of the Executive Board of DaimlerChrysler AG, Bertalan Havasi, the Prime Minister’s press chief informed the Hungarian news agency MTI. The decoration was conferred upon Mr Mangold in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the strengthening and development of Hungarian-German economic relations.

Direkt36 discovered more about the controversial relationship between the Hungarian prime minister and the German businessman. First, they wrote that Mr Mangold was regularly referred to as “Mr Russia” in the German press due to his extensive network in the Russian political and business elite.

János Lázár introduced Mangold to Orbán

According to the media outlet, János Lázár, a hunting partner of Mangold, introduced the German businessman to Orbán in 2012. Afterwards, Mangold played a role behind the scenes in smoothing the preparations of the Russian-Hungarian negotiations over the Paks nuclear power plant expansion project.

Furthermore, European Commissioner Günther Oettinger travelled from Germany to Budapest on his private jet in 2016. Later, it was revealed that Mangold has a contract and a regular payment from Budapest covering multiple issues from digitalisation to the promotion of electric cars. After the 2018 elections, nine contracts were signed with Mangold’s company in various areas from helping facilitate German-Hungarian industrial cooperation to attracting foreign companies.

Rosatom subsidiary VP: Paks NPP expansion will cost more

According to index.hu, Aleksandr Merten, the VP of the Rosatom subsidiary Atomstroyexport, said the prices were defined by inflation, the damaged supply chains, the growing costs of building materials, and illegal migration. He said Paks II would supply electricity from the beginning of the 2030s. However, its EUR 12.5 billion cost could increase.

Paks Nuclear Power Plant (Copy) — Photo: FB/Paks NPP

Furthermore, the deadlines may also change since the European Commission monitored the state support of the project for 2.5 years. He added that German Siemens would deliver the automatised control system of the plant. If they refused to do so, Russians would partner with the French. Laying concrete will start next March, and the Hungarian supplier rate may exceed 40%. Mr Merten said 150 Hungarian companies were working on the expansion project.

Read also:

Russia’s vision for Ukraine in 2045 might include Hungary – What’s the endgame for Moscow?
FM Szijjártó continues peace mission: he negotiated with Lavrov in Malta

December 6, 2024

FM Szijjártó continues peace mission: he negotiated with Lavrov in Malta

Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, had talks with his Russian and Vatican counterparts on Thursday on the sidelines of the OSCE foreign ministers’ council meeting in Valletta.

After talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, Szijjártó pledged to continue pursuing the “Hungarian peace mission”, saying the war in Ukraine may be closer than ever in light of the US presidential election, yet the risk of escalation was now at its peak.

To ensure that peace remains viable by January 20, “everything must be done now to keep the channels of communication open,” he said in a Facebook post, adding that the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe was the “last suitable forum” for this.

Instead of encouraging Ukraine to lower the conscription age, “we should work towards a ceasefire and peace,” he added.

In July, PM Viktor Orbán went on a ‘peace mission’ to Kyiv, Moscow, Beijing and Mar-a-Lago after he took over the presidency of the Council of the European Union. He got criticism that he did not have authorization to make such a move. Later, it became clear that he informed NATO and EU allies about his plans beforehand. Orbán has been communicating about anti-peace and pro-peace blocks ever since.

Meanwhile, referring to a meeting with Paul Richard Gallagher, his Vatican counterpart, Szijjártó said Hungary highly valued the Holy See’s “wise, pro-peace” position.

He said they were in agreement that striving for peace was “not a sign of weakness but of courage”. “Archbishop Gallagher encouraged us to pursue our efforts to save lives, establish peace and keep the channels of communication open,” he said.

Szijjártó added that Christian communities around the world were being persecuted, “and this must be stopped”. He said the atrocities against Christians in Aleppo were especially worrying.

“Hungary will carry on providing humanitarian aid with a view to protecting Christian communities facing hardships,” he said.

Read also:

Ukrainian county inhabited by Hungarians, Transcarpathia, under Russian attack – read more HERE
PM Orbán: war in Ukraine can only be lost with Zelensky’s plan

December 6, 2024

Szijjártó in Washington: Hope for Ukraine peace hinges on US leadership transition

In the wake of the US presidential election, an end to the conflict in Ukraine seems closer than ever, even as the danger of escalation is the greatest yet as “the outgoing US administration is trying to make brokering peace after 20 January impossible”, the minister of foreign affairs and trade said in Washington, D.C., late on Wednesday.

According to a ministry statement, Péter Szijjártó met House Representative Mike Waltz, a Republican for Florida tapped to serve as national security advisor in the incoming administration headed by Donald Trump, and welcomed that the post would go to a member of the Congressional Hungarian-American Caucus.

Szijjártó said the “friendly talks” touched on geopolitical issues including the war in Ukraine. “It is no coincidence that the issue of the war in Ukraine, whether to end it or continue it, was one of the most important questions in the US presidential campaign, and while Donald Trump said clearly he wanted to end the war, Kamala Harris fought for continuing it.”

He said Hungary was “rooting for Donald Trump’s aim to conclude the war quickly to become reality”, and said that keeping channels of communication open was extremely important.

Regarding US-Hungarian relations, Szijjártó said “the fact that US Republicans and we Hungarian patriots have similar, and occasionally perfectly aligned, views on the most important issues of world politics” would be certain to give a stable foundation to a renewed relationship.

He pointed to the fight against illegal migration and the protection of borders and sovereignty as examples. “We want to base our policies on common sense, family is a priority for both administrations, and we both speak the language of peace.”

The most important “takeaway” of the talks with Waltz was that “we speak the language of peace and that the risk of escalation is as clear for the US as it is for us, in the neighbourhood of the war,” Szijjártó said.

“There is nothing left but to hope that nothing happens in Ukraine until 20 January to irrevocably change the situation and make brokering peace much harder than it now seems,” he said.

At the meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels earlier this week, the incumbent US Secretary of State had a “very different approach”, Szijjártó said. He lamented that 8 member states have yet to boost their defence spending to 2 percent of GDP. NATO also requires that 20 percent of that be ploughed into modernisation and new purchases; in Hungary, that ratio is at 48 percent. “That is one way we contribute to NATO’s strength,” he said.

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December 5, 2024

Solution to problems caused by US sanctions on Gazprombank close, says Hungarian minister

Sergey Lavrov and Péter Szijjártó Russian energy

Solutions to manage the problems caused by US sanctions against Russia’s Gazprombank imposed by the United States have been adopted in three of four instances affecting Hungary, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto told lawmakers on Tuesday.

At the parliamentary hearing, opposition MEPs were mainly interested in why the Hungarian government is increasing its purchases of Russian energy and why it is not trying to replace its dependence on Russia with green energy instead. Several opposition members also asked whether the natural charging of battery power plants would pay off in Hungary in the long run. There was also criticism that foreign trade is negative, and according to the latest KSH data, the Hungarian economy is in massive recession.

Giving testimony before parliament’s economy committee, Szijjártó said the legal constructions devised to resolve the matter, reached at meetings in Moscow a day earlier, would ensure Hungary’s energy supply. Related article: Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov again received the Hungarian Foreign Minister in Moscow

He added that the sanctions had affected several European countries that made payments for their Russian energy through Gazprombank, and coordination among them was ongoing. Related article – Hungarian minister: We are working with the Russians on a solution to avoid US sanctions

He said those countries happen to be sympathisers of President-elect Donald Trump. He added that Russian banks that manage payments for uranium exports were granted exceptions to the sanctions.

He noted last year that the US was the biggest buyer of Russian uranium.

Szijjártó said Hungary rejected any initiative that attempted to muddle energy supply and economic cooperation with ideological or political matters. He added that, given the existing infrastructure, Hungary had not been made a better offer than that for its gas from Russia.

Szijjártó pointed to efforts to diversify Hungary’s energy supply, including the start of deliveries of Azeri and Turkish gas and talks on purchasing Qatari LNG for the period after 2027. He added that the European Commission had been unwilling to provide financial support for the infrastructure necessary to diversify the energy supply in the region.

Addressing electromobility, Szijjártó augured a rebound in demand for EVs after a temporary downturn and said EV industry investments that had been scrapped were in countries where they had not even started, while projects in Hungary were well underway.

He added that state support for such investments would have to be repaid, with interest, if conditions were not met.

read also: Slovak interior minister: Possible Hungarian terror attack against the Friendship crude oil pipeline, details HERE

December 3, 2024

Hungarian government believes car industry and EV factories are key priorities

Hungary’s economic recovery is underway this year, in spite of extraordinary difficulties and turbulence, laying the foundation for significant growth in 2025, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said giving testimony before parliament’s economy committee on Tuesday. As he said, Orbán cabinet believes car industry and EV factories are key priorities.

Szijjarto said the weight of the global economy had shifted to the East in recent years, while the competition to attract multinationals’ investments had intensified. He warned of the danger of efforts to divide the world into blocs again and said the government was focused on strengthening connectivity.

He said the government had adopted a policy of economic neutrality, paving the way for the country to become a “meeting point” for the economies of the East and the West.

Hungary has become the “number one” location in Europe for cooperation between Western and Eastern companies, he added.

Szijjártó said the government had supported 255 investments with HUF 869bn in subsidies in 2023 and the first half of 2024. Those projects were worth more than HUF 6,000bn and created around 25,000 jobs, he added.

He noted that

62pc of that investment volume had come from China. South Korean companies were runner-up, followed by ones from Germany, he added.

Hungary accounted for 44pc of all Chinese investments in Europe during the period, he said. This year, Chinese investments in Hungary created 11,500 jobs, while investments by German companies created 3,000, he added.

Government support for investments went to projects in 19 branches of industry, although the most support went to electromobility investments, he said.

Szijjártó highlighted big investments in the pipeline, including Chinese EV manufacturer BYD’s plant in Szeged, German car maker BMW’s factory in Debrecen and the expansion of the Mercedes base in Kecskemét.

When those projects are finished, annual vehicle production in Hungary will climb over 1 million, he added.

Szijjártó also noted big battery manufacturing investments necessary for EV production.

December 3, 2024

Hungarian minister: We are working with the Russians on a solution to avoid US sanctions 🔄

Hungarian foreign minister met Lavrov in New York

European leaders have “missed a great opportunity” to amend their “failed” Ukraine strategy, and they should have doubled down on peace efforts amid the current danger of escalation, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said in Pécs, in southern Hungary. He also said that the Hungarian Foreign Ministry is working with the Russians to find a solution to avoid US sanctions.

Addressing a National Consultation campaign event on Monday evening, the minister said Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election had brought closer a peaceful resolution to the war, but the danger of escalation had also grown, “due to the measures of the outgoing Washington administration that ignore the will of the people”.

Szijjártó said EU leaders could have used the US developments as an excuse to amend their “failed Ukraine strategy, which is also weakening the continent”.

He said his latest visit to Moscow had been aimed at bolstering peace efforts and further guaranteeing Hungary’s energy security, as US sanctions against Gazprombank had put countries purchasing Russian energy resources in a difficult situation.

The background to this case is that the US introduced sanctions back in November, excluding 50 other Russian financial institutions from the international financial system in addition to Gazprombank. The measure is aimed at preventing the financing of the war in Ukraine. Gazprombank manages Gazprom’s finances, and all purchases and payments for energy are made through this bank.

“We are now working together on a solution with the Russians, company leaders and the deputy PM for energy…” Szijjártó said.

In a Facebook video on Monday, Szijjártó indicated from Moscow that a solution to the US sanctions on Gazprombank would soon be found, meaning that payments for natural gas, oil, and nuclear fuel purchased from Russia could be resolved.

According to experts, the solution is likely to be the insertion of a Turkish, Azeri, Arab, or possibly Serbian player in the payment chain, which would circumvent the US sanctions, Forbes said.

It is also interesting to note that since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the Hungarian government has not reduced but drastically increased its purchases of Russian raw materials. Thus, Hungarian energy diversification is still far away, and there is no intention to do so.

He slammed the “hypocrisy of certain colleagues” who “regularly emphasised their support” ahead of EU foreign council meetings “but never stand by me in the debate”. “There is a great deal of hypocrisy in the world regarding the ties with the East, Russia as well as China,” he said.

Szijjártó praised Hungary’s policy of economic neutrality, which allowed the country to trade with Eastern and Western partners alike, “despite the ongoing discourse to decouple the European and Chinese economies.”

Read also – Slovak interior minister: Possible Hungarian terror attack against the Friendship crude oil pipeline

UPDATE

Solution to problems caused by US sanctions on Gazprombank close, says Hungarian minister – details HERE

December 3, 2024

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov again received the Hungarian Foreign Minister in Moscow 🔄

The Hungarian government must increase its efforts towards peace as the risk of escalation in the war in Ukraine is more serious than ever before, the Hungarian foreign minister said in Moscow on Monday, adding that efforts had to also be made to keep the channels of diplomacy open.

Lavrov

Sergei Lavrov began the meeting by saying in the first three minutes that Russia appreciates Viktor Orban’s “independent policy”, that they see Hungary’s sincere efforts to restore peace, and that he believes there is sustainable growth in both the Russian and Hungarian economies.

Szijjártó

At talks held with his Russian colleague, Sergei Lavrov, Péter Szijjártó underlined that the risk of escalation of the war “is more serious than ever before.”

“There have been many dangerous and irresponsible decisions made in the recent past that for a country neighbouring Ukraine, such as Hungary, pose particular threats,” he said.

He said the past one thousand days had proved that the war had no solution in the battlefield, it could only be ended through negotiations for which “the channels of diplomacy have to be kept open”.

“Those who close those diplomatic channels or attack those who keep them open do not really want peace,” he said.

Szijjártó said developing bilateral ties with Russia in areas not affected by sanctions “is a clear and open goal” of the Hungarian government.

Lavrov

Then, the Russian Foreign Minister took the floor again, but in the next 10 minutes or so, he did not give it to Szijjártó, so only Lavrov spoke.
The Russian Foreign Minister returned to the themes often voiced by Moscow, the situation in Ukraine, and spoke at length about how anyone who speaks out against peace does not even represent the interests of his own people, saying that they see the likes of Viktor Orban’s peace mission from China, South Africa and several Arab countries. He also criticised the Western double standards they see in Russia.

Practically every month there is a meeting between the Russian and Hungarian Foreign Ministers:

End of October – Szijjártó in Minsk: Record gas deliveries highlight Hungary’s energy cooperation with Russia
September: Hungarian foreign minister met again with Russian FM Lavrov to discuss cooperation

UPDATE

“Russia committed to maintaining Hungary energy supply”

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in Moscow on Monday that Russia will continue to deliver crude, gas, and nuclear fuel to Hungary in spite of new sanctions.

In a statement issued by his ministry, Szijjártó said he had held talks with Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak and a number of executives of energy industry companies and acknowledged the important role deliveries from Russia play in ensuring Hungary’s secure energy supply.

He added that the issue was not a “political matter” , but one of “physical reality” and of infrastructure.

“We have no intent of giving up this good cooperation. If for the only reason that nobody has given us a better offer. We know of no other energy sources that are more secure or more competitively priced,” he said.

Szijjártó said

the inclusion of Gazprombank on the United States’ sanctions list was an attempt to put countries in Central and Southeastern Europe that use Russian energy in a difficult position.

Discussing the matter on Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Novak and the energy company executives affected by the measure affirmed their interest in cooperation and the continuation of energy deliveries, he added.

“We’ve committed to finding a solution to the situation,”

he said. He added that the Hungarian government would do everything in its power to ensure the country’s secure energy supply.

He noted that other countries in the region were “in the same shoes” and were working together to resolve the situation.

December 2, 2024

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov again received the Hungarian Foreign Minister in Moscow

Lavrov

Szijjártó

At talks held with his Russian colleague, Sergei Lavrov, Péter Szijjártó underlined that the risk of escalation of the war “is more serious than ever before.”

“There have been many dangerous and irresponsible decisions made in the recent past that for a country neighbouring Ukraine, such as Hungary, pose particular threats,” he said.

“Those who close those diplomatic channels or attack those who keep them open do not really want peace,” he said.

Szijjártó said developing bilateral ties with Russia in areas not affected by sanctions “is a clear and open goal” of the Hungarian government.

Lavrov

Practically every month there is a meeting between the Russian and Hungarian Foreign Ministers:

End of October – Szijjártó in Minsk: Record gas deliveries highlight Hungary’s energy cooperation with Russia
September: Hungarian foreign minister met again with Russian FM Lavrov to discuss cooperation

UPDATE

“Russia committed to maintaining Hungary energy supply”

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in Moscow on Monday that Russia will continue to deliver crude, gas, and nuclear fuel to Hungary in spite of new sanctions.

He added that the issue was not a “political matter” , but one of “physical reality” and of infrastructure.

Szijjártó said

the inclusion of Gazprombank on the United States’ sanctions list was an attempt to put countries in Central and Southeastern Europe that use Russian energy in a difficult position.

“We’ve committed to finding a solution to the situation,”

he said. He added that the Hungarian government would do everything in its power to ensure the country’s secure energy supply.

He noted that other countries in the region were “in the same shoes” and were working together to resolve the situation.

December 2, 2024

Can the endless queues at the Ukrainian-Hungarian border be resolved? Governments seek EU support 🔄

Ukrainian-Hungarian border: Levente Magyar, a state secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said at a border crossing on Monday that Hungary and Ukraine will submit a plan for EUR 1 bn in joint upgrades of frontier and road infrastructure to Brussels.

The plan includes a cross-border motorway connection, a new crossing for lorries and related road developments, Magyar said.

He added that the Beregsurany-Astei border crossing would undergo a two-year renovation and expansion, while a crossing between Nagyhodos and Velyka Palad would open soon, bringing the number of crossings between Hungary and Ukraine to six.

Magyar acknowledged the divergent views on some matters of the governments of Hungary and Ukraine, but said both agreed that expanding border-crossing capacity was necessary to boost trade and advance Ukraine’s integration with the European economy.

He said direct passenger train service between Budapest and Kyiv would start soon.

Viktor Mykyta, the deputy head of the Office of the President, said border crossings needed to be expanded as both Ukraine and Hungary were on transit routes.

Can the endless queues at the Ukrainian-Hungarian border be resolved? Governments seek EU support

The plan includes a cross-border motorway connection, a new crossing for lorries and related road developments, Magyar said.

He said direct passenger train service between Budapest and Kyiv would start soon.

Viktor Mykyta, the deputy head of the Office of the President, said border crossings needed to be expanded as both Ukraine and Hungary were on transit routes.

Hungarian foreign minister: EU sanctions are dangerous

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó met with leaders of the World Meteorological Organization, the World Trade Organization and the World Health Organization as well as the general secretary of the United Nations Trade and Development Conference in Geneva on Friday. He also talked about how dangerous the EU sanctions are.

Hungary is using its strategy of economic neutrality as its defence against the European Union’s dangerous sanctions-based policy, and the government will not let economic policy be held hostage by ideological issues, Szijjártó was quoted as saying by his ministry in a statement.

Szijjártó warned that the EU sanctions introduced in recent years were causing serious damage, especially for countries that are deeply integrated into world trade and the global economy.

“It is time for the European Union to abandon its policy of sanctions and restrictions,” he said. “Let it be clear what incredible damage sanctions and restrictions have caused the European economy, including the economies of the member states,” he added.

He also noted that the general secretary of the World Trade Organization also praised the government’s approach and the strategy of economic neutrality and congratulated on the results achieved in the midst of serious difficulties.

Szijjártó pointed out that Hungary trades with both Eastern and Western countries and companies, and attracts job-creating investments from both East and West.

Read also:

PM Orbán talked about the importance of abolishing the EU’s anti-Russia sanctions

December 1, 2024

Paks Nuclear Power Plant expansion reaches new milestone

The Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority has approved the preliminary safety report for the pouring of the first concrete of the expansion of the Paks nuclear power plant, another milestone in the project, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó was quoted as saying by his ministry on Friday.

He said the pouring of the first concrete is expected to take place early next year.

Szijjártó said the Paks power plant expansion is currently the biggest nuclear project with a building permit in the European Union.

Agroszika completes new site in Debrecen industrial zone

Agroszika completed a HUF 209m site in the southern industrial zone of Debrecen (E Hungary) on Friday. The investment costs were fully covered by a conditional European Union and state grant. Agroszika’s activities include earthworks, freight transport and waste management. It had revenue of HUF 2bn last year, managing director Krisztina Hajdu-Kalmar said.

Read also:

International organization confirmed that the Paks NPP operates safe, dependable – read more HERE

Featured image: illustration

November 30, 2024

Hungarian foreign minister outraged in Geneva due to the violated rights of the Hungarians living in Ukraine

Acting together against the violation of the rights of ethnic minorities in any country is an important obligation for the international community, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said in Geneva on Friday.

According to a statement from the foreign ministry, Szijjártó spoke at the United Nations Forum on Minority Issues, and said “the centre of the heart of Hungary’s foreign policy is to make sure that the rights of Hungarian communities that live outside our borders are respected.”

He said one of the keys for preserving their national identity was access to “our very unique” mother tongue, adding that that access was not fully provided for ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine’s Transcarpathia province.

“The members of the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia have to suffer from the fact that their rights … are seriously violated” in terms of using their mother tongue in education, media, culture, and public administration, the minister said.

“There are even legislative attempts to ban using the mother tongue out of the classes,” he said, adding that under international law those violations could not be explained.

“We consider it an obligation of the international community to stand up when it comes to violation of rights of national communities regardless in which country it takes place,” the minister said, adding that such violations must not be considered a bilateral issue.

Read also:

“Hungarian Iron Dome” deployed near the Ukrainian border, expert says Putin will attack Hungary
Ukrainian county inhabited by Hungarians, Transcarpathia, under Russian attack!

November 29, 2024

Minister Szijjártó: Hungary ‘number one’ destination for Chinese investment in Europe

Hungary is now the “number one” destination for Chinese investment in Europe, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said after a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Beijing on Tuesday.

In a statement issued by his ministry, Szijjarto said further developing bilateral cooperation was important to both the governments of China and Hungary. He added that Hungary had profited much from that cooperation, noting that the country was the destination for 44pc of all Chinese investments in Europe last year.

He said Chinese companies are investing more than HUF 4,000bn (EUR 9.97bn) in Hungary. Those projects will create tens of thousands of jobs and ensure a base for economic growth in the coming years.

He said talks had started on boosting the number of weekly direct flights between China and Hungary from 21 at present. He added that the number of guest nights spent by Chinese tourists in Hungary was now over the pre-pandemic peak.

He said another Confucius Institute, the sixth in Hungary, would open at the University of Győr.

He said a work group for agricultural cooperation had held its first meeting to discuss a regionalisation agreement that could prevent a complete halt of exports of poultry or pork if only limited areas of the country were affected by outbreaks of avian influenza or African swine fever.

He mentioned the upgrade of the Budapest-Belgrade rail line in partnership with Serbia and China and said Europe’s biggest border crossing would be built in Röszke, on the border with Serbia. He added that a trilateral cooperation would also be the best way to build a crude pipeline between Hungary and Serbia.

He warned that the European Union’s punitive tariffs on Chinese EVs were a threat to Europe’s economy and competitiveness and said European-Chinese cooperation should be improved through negotiations.

Addressing the war in Ukraine, Szijjártó said the sides agreed that an escalation had to be avoided.

As we wrote today, Szijjártó addressed the second China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) in Beijing. Details are HERE.

November 26, 2024

Hungary ‘safest location’ for East-West cooperation, says Minister Szijjártó in Beijing

Hungary is “the safest location” for East-West cooperation, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said, addressing the second China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) in Beijing on Tuesday.

Halfway between Washington and Beijing

“We offer the safest place for Eastern and Western companies to work together in Europe,” Szijjártó said at the fair’s opening, where Hungary is the guest of honor.

He expressed concern over efforts to divide the world into blocs again and said those initiatives were “totally against” Hungary’s national interests. Hungary’s goal, he added, was for connectivity to characterise the coming decades.

He said the hope was for East and West to cooperate in a “civilised manner, based on mutual respect and aiming at mutual benefits.” He outlined the government’s strategy of economic neutrality, adopted in the context of Hungary’s historical experience, with a view to the country’s export-oriented economy and its geographical location halfway between Washington and Beijing.

Szijjártó said the government’s economic neutrality strategy dovetailed with China’s Belt and Road Initiative and provided a stable basis for economic growth.

He said that Hungary was now the “number one” destination for Chinese investments in Europe, noting that CATL was setting up the biggest battery plant on the continent in Hungary while BYD was building a factory that would turn out several hundred thousand EVs a year. He added that more Chinese investments are in the pipeline.

Szijjártó said those Chinese investments supported Hungary’s economic growth, creating jobs, bringing cutting-edge technologies, raising the level of value-added, and shortening supply chains. The government’s strategy of economic neutrality is “the right one,” he said, adding that strengthening cooperation between China and Hungary would produce a “fantastic” year for the Hungarian economy in 2025.

Chinese-Hungarian Collaboration to Connect Eastern and Western Digital Payment Systems

Two major digital payment technology providers, Macau Pass Group Holdings Limited of Macau and Hungary’s Cardnet Group, announced today their strategic alliance to establish the BRIDGE Project.

The BRIDGE Project aims to create a technology platform serving both Asian and European digital payment infrastructures under a shared ecosystem: the Bilateral Retail Interoperability Digital Gateway Ecosystem (BRIDGE). This platform will seamlessly integrate Asian mobile payment systems with European contactless payment networks. By combining the expertise of Macau Pass and Cardnet, the project seeks to simplify and expedite cross-border payment transactions, enable real-time currency conversion, ensure transaction security, and comply with the highest financial, data protection, and security standards.

Macau Pass, a pioneer in Asian digital payment solutions, is a key partner of Ant International, owner of Alipay Plus.

Cardnet, collaborating with other Hungarian financial and technology partners, facilitates connections to European payment networks.

As part of the partnership, the two companies will establish a Central Interoperability Platform (CIP), enabling QR code-based and NFC-based transactions. This platform will cater to Chinese tourists, business travelers, expatriate workers, and European consumers.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, stated that there’s a growing number of Chinese tourists arriving in Hungary. Given that there are 21 flights on a weekly basis from big Chinese cities to Budapest and that many Hungarians are now taking advantage of the visa-free travel for Hungarian citizens to China, tourism in both directions has been increasing.

Minister Szijjártó added:

„I do believe that in case the common payment platform is being established, it is going to be even more attractive to travel into the countries of each other. Therefore, I do believe that the agreement between Macau Pass and Cardnet Group of Hungary is a very important milestone. This agreement makes it possible that a common payment platform is going to be established through which both Chinese and Hungarian citizens can pay much easier with their own payment schemes in the countries of each other. So I do count on the further increase of tourism between China and Hungary.”

Dr. János Kóka, Managing Director of Cardnet Group, said:

“This collaboration positions Hungary as a critical digital transit hub for payment transactions between Chinese and European customers in each other’s countries.”

Sun Ho, Chairman and CEO of Macau Pass Group Holdings Limited, said:

“By bridging the gap between East and West, we are laying the foundation for a truly interconnected global digital payment ecosystem.”

The CEO of Macau’s leading mobile payment platform added that they are honored to partner with Cardnet.

True to its name, the BRIDGE Project aims to build a payment bridge connecting China with the world. The goal is to create a globally significant payment interoperability model and inject new momentum into global digitization processes.

The National Bank of Hungary cooperates with Chinese university

November 26, 2024

UK-owned DS Smith Packaging Hungary to invest EUR 34.4m in expansions

Reinier Schlatmann, Managing Director of DS Smith Packaging East Europe, at the press conference announcing the investment in DS Smith Packaging Hungary Kft. in Budapest on 25 November 2024.

UK-owned DS Smith Packaging Hungary will invest HUF 12.7bn (EUR 34.4m) at three bases in Hungary, boosting production capacity by over 40 pc, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó announced on Monday.

Szijjártó said in a statement issued by his ministry that the investments will be undertaken at bases in Füzesabony, Nagykáta, and Győr.

He noted that UK-owned companies employ around 50,000 people in Hungary, of which DS Smith employs over 1,000.

DS Smith said the EUR 34.4m investment would be completed in April 2026 in a press release.

DS Smith operates eight bases in Hungary: one offset and two corrugated cardboard plants, four service centers, and a central office.