Hungarian Conservative

Péter Szijjártó noted that in a number of matters, Hungarians and Slovaks depend on each other, adding: ‘The war has highlighted our differences, but I believe it has also strengthened our interdependence just as much.’

Minister Szijjártó underscored that he is glad there are still politicians like Matteo Salvini in Europe. He said Salvini, whom he described as an old friend, is one of ‘those who are able to think rationally about migration’.

‘The immigrationist policy pursued by Brussels must end, and European countries should be supported in protecting their own territory and at the same time the territory of the European Union,’ Minister of Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó declared.

The European General Court on Wednesday rejected the Austrian government’s lawsuit against the European Commission, confirming that the Paks nuclear power plant expansion had indeed not received illegal state funding.

Minister Szijjártó stressed that persecuted Christian communities of the world can count on the support of Hungary even in times of economic difficulties. ‘Hungary as a nation has more than a thousand years of Christians statehood and it feels responsibility towards persecuted Christians around the world,’ the minister added.

The Paks nuclear power plant currently prevents the emission of 14.5 million tons of carbon dioxide per year, and with the expansion, this will increase by another 17 million tons. In addition, about four billion cubic metres less natural gas will have to be used per year.

During a joint press conference with his Romanian colleague, Szijjártó reminded that the strategic partnership agreement with Romania was signed 20 years ago and stressed that keeping it in place is in the best interest of both Romania and Hungary.

Among other agreements, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó announced preparations for the joint development of a high-speed railway connection, aimed at enabling swift and comfortable travel from the Liszt Ferenc Airport to the centre of Budapest. In addition, the possibility of building an oil pipeline between Hungary and Serbia will be explored with Chinese and Serbian partners, as well as the expanding of Sino-Hungarian cooperation to nuclear energy initiatives.

Six direct flights will connect Hungary and China starting this summer, following Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó’s announcement in Beijing on Tuesday of a new service from Budapest to Xi’an. Direct connectivity plays a vital role in Sino–Hungarian economic and trade relations.

After lengthy negotiations, an agreement was reached on the opening of a new border crossing point at the Hungarian–⁠Ukrainian border, bringing the total number of crossing points between the two countries to six. Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó described this development as a significant step forward that will enhance people’s lives and foster better relations between the two countries.

In the second half of 2024 a regional power exchange known as the BlueSky Project is poised for launch, involving Hungary, Slovenia, and Serbia. Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó stated in Budapest on Tuesday that the initiative will notably enhance regional security of energy supply.

For the first time since the end of January, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba sat down for talks. Recently, significant steps have been taken to restore mutual trust between the two countries.

Both Viktor Orbán and Péter Szijjártó have extended their condolences to Russia over the tragic events that occurred last Friday at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow. The circumstances surrounding one of the most brutal terrorist attacks in decades remain unclear.

Early in March Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli visited Hungary and met Hungary’s Minister for European Union Affairs János Bóka, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, several Hungarian Jewish community leaders, while also giving presentations on the Gaza War. Jews in Hungary can practice their faith in safety in contrast to many other European nations, he noted during his visit.

Following talks with his Thai counterpart, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó revealed that tourist traffic between the two countries has doubled, with more than 10,000 Thai tourists visiting Hungary last year, while more than 30,000 Hungarians travelled to Thailand.

The Budapest Balkans Forum 2024 began with captivating discussions about the region’s future, featuring Hungarian government officials such as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Defence Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, and Minister for EU Affairs János Bóka, among others.

Péter Szijjártó welcomed the continuous development of bilateral economic relations and the breaking of export records. He also praised Qatar’s role in the release of some hostages abducted by Hamas, including three Hungarian citizens, and revealed that another Hungarian citizen might be held by terrorist organization and requested assistance from Qatar in facilitating their prompt return.

Péter Szijjártó pointed out that Hungary managed to achieve great results despite the fact that the global economy underwent significant crises last year, as indicated by global data. The amount of investments made worldwide decreased by 12.5 per cent from 2021 to 2022. In the first half of last year, an additional 30 per cent decrease was recorded.

BYD, the world’s leading electric vehicle manufacturer based in Shenzhen, China is opening a new factory in the southern Hungarian city of Szeged. Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has called it ‘one of the biggest investment projects in Hungary’s history’.

According to a statement from the ministry, Péter Szijjártó stressed that the German-owned ZF Chassis Modules Hungary Ltd will manufacture shock absorbers, as well as front and rear axles for electric cars produced from 2025 at the BMW plant in Debrecen and the Mercedes plant in Kecskemét.

At the inauguration ceremony of the new unit at the Dunaharaszti plant of Coca-Cola HBC Hungary, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó highlighted that US companies now constitute the second largest community of investors in Hungary.

‘I asked my colleague to assist us in ensuring that the two [remaining] Hungarian nationals who hold dual citizenship can be released from captivity as soon as possible,’ Péter Szijjártó shared, adding that it is excellent news that one of the affected individuals is demonstrably alive and stressed the importance of locating the other person. He expressed the hope that both can return home as soon as possible.

During a joint press conference with Alexey Likhachev, the head of the Russian nuclear energy company Rosatom, Péter Szijjártó welcomed the start of the construction of new reactors in Paks. He pointed out that the expansion is currently the largest nuclear project on the continent with a construction permit.

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó of Hungary took part in the inaugural ceremony for Astana’s newly renamed Petőfi Street, calling the gesture a profound sign of respect from the Kazakh people towards Hungary.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjártó highlighted during the inauguration of the new office of Aldi International IT Services that the establishment of the IT service centre will create fifty highly skilled jobs. The state supported the 1.2 billion HUF investment with 120 million HUF.

Péter Szijjártó emphasized that this visit marks the end of a long hiatus in the relationship, as there had been no diplomatic ties between the two countries for a decade. He pointed out that the decision to normalize relations was made last year, aiming to establish cooperation that benefits both nations.

The National Assembly of Bulgaria passed a new, €10.2 per megawatt-hour tax on Russian gas coming through the TurkStream pipeline. President Aleksandar Vučić of Serbia and Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó of Hungary have condemned the decision.

In a recent Facebook post, Péter Szijjártó informed that he had a phone conversation with the South Korean Foreign Minister Park Joo, in which they discussed not only issues of bilateral cooperation but also the significant challenges facing international security.

Nestlé Hungária Kft.’s recent capacity expansion investment in Bük is set to create 280 new job opportunities, marking yet another milestone in Hungary’s impressive year of record-breaking investments, exports, and employment, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó made the announcement at the project’s inauguration ceremony.

In his remarks at the inauguration of a new granulation plant established by Swiss Omya in Eger, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó highlighted that this year a record €6.5 billion worth of foreign investments have materialized in Hungary, demonstrating that international trust in the Hungarian economy remains unbroken.