These are the sectors in which Hungary and Iran cooperate

Hungary and Iran both have an interest in developing economic cooperation in sectors not subject to sanctions, such as the pharmaceutical industry, the health and food industries and water management, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Tehran on Thursday.

The broad international sanctions imposed on Iran do not make economic and trade cooperation easy, Szijjártó told a Hungarian-Iranian business forum.

“What we think about sanctions in general is irrelevant right now, and is a topic for another speech, but the point is that building economic cooperation isn’t easy,” Szijjártó said. “But ‘not easy’ doesn’t mean that it’s impossible.”

The minister said there were a number of areas that are not subject to sanctions, such as the pharmaceutical industry, the health and food industries and water management. He added that it was a “happy coincidence” that these are among the most-developed sectors of the Hungarian economy and global technological leaders.

Szijjártó said Hungary is the world’s 20th most significant pharma exporter, and that Iran has been using Hungarian-made X-ray machines for over 15 years.

The minister noted that he was accompanied on his visit by representatives of the most high-tech Hungarian agricultural firms which were technological leaders in seed production, animal and plant health as well as premix production.

“We have the food industry companies here with us, representing sectors ranging from milk processing to energy drinks,” he said. He added that water management businesses exporting modern technologies to Africa, Southeast Asia and the Western Balkans were also present.

Szijjártó asked the company executives to take advantage of the opportunity to boost cooperation between Hungary and Iran in the areas not affected by sanctions.

Meanwhile, the minister touched on recent crises such as the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the Middle East conflict, emphasising that the world had entered “an era of dangers” and a new global economic order was emerging.

Hungary, given its geographical location and economic structure, has a vested interest in the global economy “operating under open, peaceful and fair conditions”.

Szijjártó said Hungary was concerned about a potential re-emergence of geopolitical blocs in the world, noting that the country had already lost out on such a divide in the past.

“That’s why we’d much rather like the coming period to be one of connectivity,” he said, adding that Hungary saw cooperation between East and West as an opportunity, rather than a threat or a risk.

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