Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stated that his country views Türkiye “as an ally, as a friend, and as a strategic partner,” highlighting that the two nations have successfully built a strategic relationship during the most critical moments.
In an interview with Anadolu during his visit to Türkiye’s capital Ankara on Friday, Szijjarto spoke about Türkiye-Hungary relations, the reshaping of Europe’s security architecture, and global issues, News.Az reports citing Anadolu.
“We are very grateful for Türkiye’s very reliable role as a transit partner in ensuring the safety and security of energy supplies for Hungary,” he said.
Szijjarto emphasized that it is impossible to talk about Hungary’s energy security without Türkiye.
He also noted that the trade volume between the two countries reached a record high in 2024, bringing them even closer to achieving the annual trade volume target of $6 billion.
Highlighting that Türkiye and Hungary have made efforts to support peace between Russia and Ukraine, Szijjarto said: “For the last three years, we have been arguing in a favor of ceasefire and the peace talks to be held.”
Szijjarto stated that both countries could be proud of maintaining this stance, emphasizing that they have pursued a “realistic” and “common-sense-based foreign policy strategy” while adopting an approach “based on mutual respect”.
Highlighting that Türkiye and Hungary achieve the goals they set each year, he recalled that 2024 was the Türkiye-Hungary Cultural Year, marking it as a significant year for recognizing the similarities and cultural heritage shared by the two nations.
Szijjarto stated that with the Türkiye-Hungary Science and Innovation Year being celebrated this year, cooperation between the two countries would be expanded to include modern industries.
He also mentioned ongoing efforts in the energy sector and expressed his satisfaction with this collaboration.