Tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the key transit route in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region have been flaring up again.Continue reading
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán received Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on a working visit at his office at the Carmelite Monastery on Sunday. The parties discussed issues related to energy supply, physical security – in particular the war in Ukraine – and overcoming economic difficulties.
The main focus was on energy supply issues. Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó pointed out that bilateral strategic cooperation has been going on for a long time, and economic and trade relations have recently gained a lot of momentum, but now cooperation has entered a whole new dimension for two reasons.
Firstly, he pointed out that the parties are no longer just talking about the possibility of energy cooperation, but a physical gas transport link has been established, with the agreement to store 50 million cubic meters of gas in Hungary on a lease basis, and the entry of this has already started. He emphasized that
Hungary has the largest storage capacity in the region, and if others store gas here, it will both generate revenue and enhance security and flexibility.
Viktor Orbán (R) welcoming Ilham Aliyev in Budapest. Photo: MTI/Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Fischer Zoltán
The minister underlined that it is now clear to everyone that Azerbaijan will be an important player in the future security of gas supply in Europe, adding that Hungary started building this cooperation in the early 2010s. According to him, this process has now come to an end with the contract under which 100 million cubic meters of natural gas will be delivered from the South Caucasus country to Hungary this year, and this volume could increase to one billion cubic meters in the future.
Szijjártó also said that
cooperation would also be boosted by the possibility for Hungarian companies to participate in the reconstruction of the Nagorno-Karabakh region after the war.
According to him, the Azeri government had designated one settlement, Soltanly, to be rebuilt exclusively by Hungarian companies.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have not officially demarcated their mutual borders since becoming independent states following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The military forces of the two countries have been engaged in a border conflict since May 12, 2021.
Via MTI, Featured photo via MTI/Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Fischer Zoltán