Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó held talks with Azerbaijan’s Minister of Energy about a green electricity project.
The European Union’s sanctions have created a serious energy crisis in Europe, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó claimed in a Facebook post on Wednesday evening. The current situation clearly shows the importance of exploring new energy sources and integrating them into our supply, he explained, adding that one – in the short-medium term the most important and possibly only – partner in this respect is Azerbaijan, as the recently signed EU-Azerbaijan energy agreement confirms.
According to Szijjártó, the relations between Hungary and Azerbaijan are strategic, and they frequently exchange views. He had a phone conversation with Parviz Shahbazov, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Energy.
Szijjártó wrote that Shahbazov presented him with an “excellent initiative:” Azerbaijan will produce large quantities of green electricity, which will be transported by a submarine pipeline first to Georgia and then to Romania. “We agreed that Hungary will join this ambitious project, as it requires the participation of at least two Member States in order to receive EU funding. This way, green electricity can be transported to our country, partly for our own use and partly as a transit route,” he explained.
The investment can be completed in three to four years, and would make a significant contribution to securing Hungary’s energy supply, while at the same time bringing the country closer to carbon neutrality, according to Szijjártó. Hungary will receive a draft soon and the Minister is confident that a final agreement will be reached quickly.
Featured photo via President.az