The foreign minister said predictable cooperation with neighbors based on mutual respect is especially valued in the current crisis situation.
Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, told a joint press conference held with Matjaž Han, Slovenia’s economic development and technology minister, that Hungary-Slovenia ties are “extremely useful” to both sides. With prices skyrocketing owing to the war in Ukraine and sanctions, discussions on developing economic cooperation are all the more important, he said. Minister Szijjártó said both sides planned to further develop ties by mutually supporting investments in each other’s countries. Bilateral trade turnover, he noted, approached 3 billion euros last year, increasing by 30 percent in the first six months of this year. Several large Hungarian companies such as MOL, OTP and Wizz Air have become regional players, he said. The first two companies are about to become the largest participants in their respective markets and Wizz Air is developing a hub in Slovenia, he added. Minister Szijjártó said Hungary-Slovenia cooperation contributed to energy security between the two countries, with their interlinked electricity networks operating in test mode since June without any problems. He welcomed the regional power exchange to be set up with the participation of Hungary, Slovenia and Serbia by the end of this year, which he said could lead to lower prices.