Defence Minister meets Azeri counterpart in Budapest
“Azerbaijan is our esteemed partner in military and defence areas and in terms of the defence industry,” Szalay-Bobrovniczky said after the talks.
The minister noted Hungary’s strategic partnership with Azerbaijan, established last year, and said cooperation was “extremely diverse” involving such areas as pharmaceuticals, food production and farming. He said energy was a key area and called Azerbaijan “one of Europe’s most important partners to ensure its energy security”.
He said the upcoming Hungarian EU presidency would pay increased attention to cooperation between the community and its eastern partners, with special regard to Azerbaijan.
The two ministers discussed the war in Ukraine, Szalay-Bobrovniczky said, adding that both countries were “committed to achieving an immediate peace and de-escalation of the war”.
Concerning the South Caucasus, Szalay-Bobrovniczky said peace in the region depended on relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, adding that “Hungary strives for a constructive balance”.