Photo: Péter Szijjártó/Facebook
Eurasia
26/09/2024 15:05
Following his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Minister Péter Szijjártó reiterated that it is in Hungary’s interest to maintain a fair and mutually respectful relationship with Russia. He noted that Lavrov has consistently made efforts to accommodate the Hungarian government’s requests and remains positive and open to addressing issues of importance to both parties.
He also emphasised that Russia will always remain a part of the Central European reality, and thus Hungary cannot afford to sever its relations. He highlighted the importance of developing bilateral cooperation in areas not subject to international sanctions and welcomed the attendance of numerous company representatives at the Hungarian-Russian Business Forum in Budapest last week, which demonstrated receptiveness to such cooperation.
FM Szijjártó announced that the Paks expansion has reached a significant milestone, with the complete excavation of the soil now underway and the first concrete scheduled to be poured this year. He emphasised that this is a crucial step for the project, as per the standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the first concrete pouring marks the official start of construction for a nuclear power plant.
In addition, the Hungarian government plans to extend the operational life of the four existing reactor units at Paks, relying on cooperation from the Russian side. This could raise the share of nuclear energy in Hungary's electricity production to around seventy percent in the future. “Such a development would significantly increase Hungary's independence from international energy markets, and recent years have underscored the importance of this,” he said.
The minister also commended Russia's flexibility in ensuring oil supplies after a recent action by Ukraine jeopardised transit through the Druzhba pipeline, placing Hungary and Slovakia in a challenging situation. “The issue was ultimately resolved thanks to the flexibility of Russian suppliers, and full volumes are continuing to arrive,” he said.
Regarding the upcoming visit of the Ukrainian Foreign Minister to Budapest next week, Szijjártó stated that minority rights will definitely be on the agenda. He highlighted that since 2015, Kiev has stripped the Hungarian community of significant rights related to the use of their mother tongue, adding: “We have a very clear expectation that the situation must return to the pre-2015 status regarding national minority rights.” He also noted that discussions will cover economic, transport, and infrastructure cooperation, among other topics. “And of course, I will not hesitate to express our pro-peace stance and our hope that the war will soon end, a ceasefire will be established, peace talks will begin, and people's lives will be safeguarded,” he added.
