Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said Hungary and Turkey are embarking on their broadest-ever energy cooperation as part of a new agreement after which natural gas imports from Turkey can start next year.
After meeting the Turkish ministers of energy, industry and trade, Minister Szijjártó 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 Turkey’s BOTAS broadens energy cooperation more than ever before, he added. Turkey 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. Minister Szijjártó 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-Híd Építő and Gulermak entered into an alliance. Hungary and Türkyie 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 Eötvös Loránd University and the Yunus Emre Institute. He said both countries were “proud of our historical heritage” and “common chapters” from the past. Szijjártó noted that Budapest and Ankara were celebrating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Also, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will sign today an agreement on forming a priority strategic partnership.