FM Szijjártó: the European Commission makes energy more expensive

Hungary has a vested interest in pursuing “good cooperation” with Romania, especially in light of the critical energy situation in Europe, Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said on Monday.

Romania is among Hungary’s most important export markets, with export records broken last year, he said after meeting Romanian deputy prime minister Barna Tánczos, adding that good ties were vitally important in terms of Hungarians living in Transylvania and Szeklerland.

• “The dirt under your nails is Romanian”: Anti-Hungarian slurs and scandalous circumstances at a match in Transylvania

He said the presence in government of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ) aided Hungary-Romania cooperation.

Both sides, he added, stood to benefit in various strategic areas such as energy supply, especially given related crises in the EU connected with the European Commission striving to limit imports to as few sources as possible, making energy more expensive.

• Mixed-race, illiberal state, serving Moscow: Fidesz’s Tusványos kicks off tomorrow with another probably provocative Orbán-speech

Szijjártó said bilateral energy cooperation would be “even closer”, adding that in the coming years Hungary would tap gas deposits discovered in Romania. Infrastructure developments are ready and Hungary can now receive 2.6 billion cubic meters of Romanian gas each year, he added.

The minister said in a statement that transport connections were also intensifying, given the need to serve the minority communities of both countries on either side of the border. He said Romanians helped into the Schengen zone now had ten new border crossing points available to them. A new bridge, another border crossing rail line between Szeged and Timisoara are planned, he noted.

Click for more Romania news.