Photo: MTI/Zoltán Balogh
Eurasia
21/08/2023 18:42
On Saturday, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán received Uzbek head of state Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Orbán congratulated the President of Uzbekistan on his July election victory. He was happy to acknowledge that Hungarian-Uzbek strategic partnership extends to ever more areas, and bilateral relations are gradually expanding, including through the entry of OTP Bank into the Uzbek financial market and the launch of direct flights connecting the two capitals together.
Viktor Orbán received former Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa, President of the Slovenian Democratic Party, the strongest opposition force in the country. The prime minister also conducted bilateral talks with leader of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov. At the meeting, the parties established that they were ready to continue cooperation by relying on the results achieved to date in all possible sectors, including in agriculture. Despite the sanctions and political difficulties, Hungarian businesses present in Russia are seeking opportunities to expand their activities, the parties agreed.
On Sunday, Viktor Orbán received Turkmen head of state Serdar Berdimuhamedow. The meeting is of paramount importance from the respect of Hungary’s energy security as negotiations are currently under way with Turkmenistan with respect to an agreement on energy cooperation, an important element of which is Hungary becoming one of the target countries of future Turkmen gas exports.
He also received Serbian head of state Aleksandar Vucic and reviewed the political and economic relations of Hungary and Serbia, the status of the Western Balkans’ EU integration, opportunities for action against illegal migration, and joint energy and infrastructure projects.
On the same day, Viktor Orbán had talks with Serb member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zeljka Cvijanovic and President of the Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik. He said relations between Hungary and Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as the Republika Srpska continue to remain excellent, and we make every effort to intensify cooperation; our projects already under way reflect these efforts.
Viktor Orbán received President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. The talks centred around three topics which are connected to the security of Hungary and Europe. The parties spoke about issues related to energy supply, physical security, in particular, the war in Ukraine, and the overcoming of the present economic difficulties.
Viktor Orbán had a bilateral meeting with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov. At the meeting, the parties acknowledged with satisfaction that the dynamic political dialogue that exists between our countries lays the foundations for and promotes the further strengthening of our cooperation to which Hungary remains firmly committed.
Hungary-Türkiye energy cooperation and the ratification of Sweden’s NATO accession were on the agenda of talks in Budapest between Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Sunday. Hungary and Türkiye have maintained a strategic partnership, while the sides agreed earlier to build an even closer cooperation, Szijjártó said.
