Szijjarto: Hungary, Turkiye embark on broadest ever energy cooperation

At the press conference held after meeting the Turkish ministers of energy, industry and trade, Szijjarto said the sides signed five agreements.

“The last few years have shown that the closer cooperation is between the two countries, the more” Hungary benefits from it, he said.

The new deal between Hungarian energy company MVM and Turkiye’s BOTAS broadens energy cooperation more than ever before, he added.

Turkiye will become a source for Hungary’s purchases of natural gas purchases next year, and cooperation will involve storage, infrastructure development, and the use of renewables and hydrogen.

Szijjarto said the EU faced “a serious energy crisis”, and, in contrast, Hungary’s supply was stable as it purchased energy “from reliable partners”.

Ankara, he added, was key to this, and more than five billion cubic meters of natural gas has already arrived this year through the TurkStream pipeline.

The minister also said cooperation in transport infrastructure development would be strengthened as Hungarian and Turkish rail construction companies V-Hid Epito and Gulermak entered into an alliance.

Hungary and Turkyie will be able to take part in major developments and investments bridging Europe and Asia as a result, he said.

Cooperation agreements also span Hungary’s national archives, the Turkish presidential office, Hungary’s Media Service Support and Asset Management Fund (MTVA) and Turkish state media service provider TRT, as well as Eotvos Lorand University and the Yunus Emre Institute.

He said both countries were “proud of our historical heritage” and “common chapters” from the past.

Szijjarto noted that Budapest and Ankara were celebrating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Also, Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will sign today an agreement on forming a priority strategic partnership.