PM Orban: A Great Step Forward in Energy Security

Hungary's prime minister held talks with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Orbán Viktor Kazahsztánban Fotó: Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Fischer Zoltán

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban traveled to Kazakhstan's capital Astana for bilateral talks and to attend the 10th summit of the Organization of Turkic States. 

Following an official bilateral meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Thursday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban noted that although the volume of economic cooperation between Hungary and Kazakhstan is not yet high enough, the two countries have achieved great growth in this area and have laid the foundations for enhancing it by an order of magnitude in the coming years.

At the press conference, Viktor Orban thanked the award conferred to him in the spirit of Kazakh-Hungarian friendship, noting that he regards the award as an honor. The two countries will continue to work to promote stable cooperation in this spirit, he added.

 PM Orban has been awarded the First Class of the Order of Friendship by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

PM Orban expressed his condolences over the disaster at the mine in Karaganda. "Our thoughts and prayers have been and are with you," he said.

He recalled that it was nine years ago that they decided to raise Hungarian-Kazakh relations to a high strategic level and had put a great deal of work into it since then. This year has already seen the results and economic cooperation is expected to further expand in the future, he said.

In his statement, Hungary's premier thanked President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for including not only economic but also global security issues in the talks.

He noted that the topic will be on the agenda again on Friday at the 10th  summit of the Organization of Turkic States.

Hungarians arrived in Europe from the East, PM Orban went on to say, noting that the Hungarian people believe that life is an alliance between ancestors, those living today and the descendants to come. He said that in this respect "the Kazakhs are part of our lives, as they are part of our common past, and this is how we always think of Kazakhstan. We are pleased that alongside our friendship, we now also have economic relations."

Energy supply is a key issue for Hungary, PM Orban said, noting that it is important that Hungary can now ship oil not only from Russia but also from Kazakhstan. "The volume of deliveries is not yet very high, but the channels have been opened, and this is a great step forward from the point of view of the country's energy security, " he added.

PM Orban also expressed his thanks for the Hungarian Mol Group's participation in gas extraction in Kazakhstan, for Hungary's involvement in the development of local green energy, and for the possibility of cooperation in the nuclear industry.

He added that he is proud that 250 Kazakh university students arrive in Hungary each year, which means that currently around a thousand Kazakh students are pursuing their studies on Hungarian state scholarships.

PM Orban is accompanied by Economic Development Minister  Marton Nagy, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto, and Finance Minister Mihaly Varga.  The Hungarian delegation is scheduled to have talks with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, PM Alikhan Smailov, and Parliamentary Speaker Yerlan Koshanov.

Hungary and Kazakhstan cooperate closely in the field of energy. In January 2023, the countries signed a memorandum of understanding on education in the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, the PM's press chief recalled, adding that energy cooperation is also outstanding at the corporate level, with many interested Hungarian companies present on the Kazakh market.

Education is one of the priority areas of interstate relations. During the talks in Astana, the parties will sign the education cooperation accord Stipendium Hungaricum for 2024-2026 and discuss preparations for several Hungarian universities to start activities in Kazakhstan.

The summit meeting of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), held under the motto "Turk Time", will serve as a crucial platform for high-level discussions on the extensive agenda of the organization, OTS website says. Leaders will make decisions on pivotal matters and finalize agreements in areas such as the economy, trade, transport and customs.

At the summit, representatives of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Hungary, Turkiye, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan will discuss political and economic developments within and outside the [Turkic] region.

As regards the summit, FM Szijjarto wrote on social media:

The OTS Council of Foreign Ministers will meet in Astana where we will also hold bilateral talks with our Uzbek and Azeri counterparts. We will inaugurate a street named after Hungarian poet Sandor Petofi in Astana, sign the new Hungarian-Kazakh scholarship agreement, and the prime minister will pay official visits. We will be busy for the next two days.

As regards cooperation between Hungary and Kazakhstan, Hungary's foreign affairs and trade minister emphasized that 

This year is the most successful year in the history of Hungarian-Kazakh cooperation.

In this context, FM Szijjarto highlighted five important success stories in the field of energy cooperation.

1. Hungarian oil and gas company MOL  Group will start producing natural gas from its field in Kazakhstan this year;
2. oil shipments are steadily arriving in Hungary, already reaching 630,000 tons this year;
3. the Kazakh city of Taraz is switching to green energy with the help of a Hungarian company;
4. Kazakh nuclear specialists will start arriving in Hungary for training this year;
5.  an increasing number of Kazakh power plants are using Hungarian power company MVM’s unique cooling system.

Cover photo: In the photo released by the PM's Press Office, Prime Minister Viktor Orban (l) and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev make a press statement following their talks at the presidential palace in Astana on November 2, 2023 (Photo: MTI/PM's Press Office/Zoltan Fischer)