FM Szijjártó: Hungary proud that it attracts Chinese, Japanese, South Korean, Turkish, German, American, Austrian investors

Hungary is ready for wide-ranging strategic cooperation with Turkic states, Peter Szijjarto, the foreign affairs and trade minister, said at an informal meeting of foreign ministers of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Budapest on Wednesday.

Era of dangers

“We are ready for this in all areas,” he said. “We’re increasing our trade turnover, welcoming more students and encouraging mutual investments.”

In the current “era of dangers”, Eurasia and Central Asia’s importance, he said, had grown significantly in terms of energy security, the economy and trade routes.

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Turkic states, he added, contributed greatly to Hungary’s security as exporters of energy, noting last year the start of Azerbaijani and Turkish shipments of natural gas and Hungarian oil and gas company MOL embarking on natural gas production in Kazakhstan.

A ministry statement quoted Szijjarto as calling it “an honour” that the OTS is holding its summit for the first time in Europe and in Hungary, which has observer status in the organisation.

Hungary: an East-West hub, says Szijjártó

He noted that when Hungary’s prime minister paid a visit to Azerbaijan, “the West” slammed Hungary. “Now the same people … are jostling others aside, trying to take selfies with your leaders,” he said.

Szijjarto underlined Hungary’s role as an East-West hub in pursuing “economic neutrality” and attracting Chinese, Japanese, South Korean and Turkish companies alongside German, American and Austrian investors.

Turkic countries, he said, would play “a key role in this strategy”. In recent years, “Hungary has benefitted hugely from cooperation with the Turkic states, and we would have missed out on many opportunities for economic development had we not cooperated with you.”

Since Hungary joined the Turkic organisation as an observer, trade turnover between Hungary and the Turkic states “has doubled”, hitting five billion dollars, he said.

Students from Turkic states have the chance to win 1,436 Hungarian university scholarships, he noted.

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Turkic countries, the minister said, were “members of the international peace camp” alongside Hungary, and he thanked Türkiye “for its peace efforts and two successful mediation attempts”.

Organisation of Tukics States’ centre in Budapest

He said “Brussels and European political leaders” should not try to hold back peace negotiations coordinated by the US president.

At a press conference after the meeting, Szijjarto noted that OTS’s European centre was in Budapest, with former Hungarian consul general to Istanbul Balazs Hendrich as its head.

Szijjarto highlighted OTS members as managing to reinforce their economies despite “the current, turbulent times”, adding that they increased their GDP by 20 percent in recent years, and expended their internal trade turnover by 50 percent.

OTS is a champion of peace

Meanwhile, Szijjarto called OTS as a “real peace organisation, a champion of peace”, adding the organisation was in a good position to promote settlement in three serious conflicts in the world. He highlighted Türkiye for mediating between belligerent parties in the war in Ukraine, and welcomed an agreement concerning the drafting of a peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Participants of the meeting adopted a declaration which could offer Afghanistan “a good chance for stabilisation” and eliminate a serious source of terrorism, Szijjarto said.

“Turkic states have made serious efforts in the interest of peace and security in the world, while Hungary is ready to contribute its pro-peace policies to those efforts,” the minister said.