Ties between Hungary and Azerbaijan have been developing steadily since 1992. Azerbaijan and Hungary have close cooperation in multilateral platforms such as the Organization of Turkic States, UN, OSCE, NATO, EU, and Eastern Partnership.
In addition to diplomatic relations, the two countries boast successful cooperation in the fields of energy, economy, trade, transport, transit and logistics, education and culture.
Today, Hungary is also a participant in the restoration of the liberated territories of Azerbaijan. Hungarian companies are taking part in the reconstruction of the Soltanli village in Jabrayil district.
The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Hungary to Azerbaijan, Tamas Torma, answered Report's questions on topics such as participation in the construction work in Karabakh and East Zangazur, the perspectives of EU-Azerbaijan relations, implementation of the Green Energy Corridor project, Azerbaijan's role in Hungary's energy supplies, Azerbaijan-Hungary cooperation within the OTS, Hungary's stance on Ukraine's EU membership:
- Mr. Ambassador, you have been working in Azerbaijan for almost two years. First of all, what are your impressions about the country. Have you experienced culture shock in Azerbaijan? Have you ever encountered something strange or very pleasant?
- Getting to know Azerbaijan goes back almost 15 years. That time, I was doing my foreign service in the capital of Türkiye and we were also accredited to Azerbaijan until 2009 when we opened our Embassy in Baku. During that time, I had the opportunity to travel to Baku during bilateral visits or international events.
Returning to this wonderful country as an ambassador is a great honor for me. Settling down was very smooth, mainly for the reason that I feel very much at home. Azerbaijani people are very hospitable, I can feel their special attention and kindness towards the Hungarian people and in such an environment it is rewarding to be a diplomat.
If there is one thing I had to get used to, it is the Azerbaijani language. Overall, it is not a burden at all considering that I can speak Turkish and I am interested in observing and learning the unique words and expressions of the Azerbaijani language. I consider language learning as a hobby and a means that brings nations closer.
- In which regions of Azerbaijan have you been so far? Which liberated districts have you visited? In general, what are your thoughts about Karabakh and East Zangazur.
- Having visited several settlements in Karabakh - including Aghdam, Lachin, Fuzuli, Shusha and Zangilan, some of them several times - I can share my personal experiences and insights. On the one hand, it is shocking and sad to see what the senseless destruction caused, on the other hand, the cultural and historical richness and natural beauty of the region is astonishing. However, what touches me the most is the Azerbaijani commitment towards reconstruction, the intellectual and creative energies guiding it, and the faith in the future of the region.
After the 44-day war, relations between Azerbaijan and Hungary began to deepen in every field. In this context, we are witnessing that Hungarian companies have started to operate in Karabakh.
- Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto also attended the groundbreaking ceremony of Soltanlı village in Jabrayil district. The school to be built in that village is a gift from the Hungarian government to Azerbaijan. In which other cities and villages will Hungarian companies contribute to restoration and construction work?
Currently, we are focusing on the reconstruction of Soltanli. It is a complex and large-scale project, sustainable residential buildings, a doctor’s office and public utilities will be constructed which will allow nearly 6,000 people to be resettled in the liberated territories. However, Hungarian companies are eager to participate in further projects in the Karabakh region, especially related to the reconstruction of water and wastewater treatment plants, water supply networks and green energy projects. Hungarian institutions and companies are currently focusing on the identification of project opportunities. Several Hungarian companies have already visited the Alat Free Economic Zone and other industrial parks of Azerbaijan with outstanding interest. I believe that in the future Hungarian companies will visit and seek opportunities in the new industrial parks of Karabakh as well.
- At the groundbreaking ceremony, Peter Szijjarto said that 13 years ago, European countries harshly criticized the Hungarian Prime Minister for visiting Azerbaijan. Then, he added that those European and other Western politicians who criticized and attacked Budapest at the time are the ones who are now doing their best to have a photo with the President of Azerbaijan. In general, how do you see EU-Azerbaijan relations in perspective?
- As I see it, the EU and Azerbaijan have developed a very pragmatic, mutually beneficial cooperation over the years, especially as regards the trade and energy relationship. Despite the recent tensions, I believe that both sides still have a lot to offer to each other. Also, in today’s difficult times, instead of isolation and the creation of blocs, we need cooperation based on mutual respect and benefits, and stronger relations between the East and the West. Hungary, as the country assuming the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU from July 2024, will definitely act in this spirit and aim to support better understanding between Brussels and Baku. Not to mention that, from a European perspective, the importance of Azerbaijan has notably grown in the past years: with war in our neighbourhood and sanctions imposed on Russia, Baku has become of strategic importance not just as a source and a transit country for energy supplies, but also as a link providing connectivity between East and West.
- Peter Szijjarto also noted that Hungary intends to invest in Azerbaijan's green energy sector. He also added that Azerbaijan has a plan to use wind energy both on land and in the Caspian Sea. In this regard, there is a project called Caspian-Black Sea-Europe Green Energy Corridor. At what phase is the implementation of the project?
- The wider and greater use of renewable energy sources is an essential element in the fight against climate change. The Caucasus and the Caspian region are rich in them, hydro, solar and wind-generated electricity is available in almost continuous and unlimited quantities, just think of Baku being called the City of Winds. The Green Energy Corridor project aims to transport green energy produced in Azerbaijan and Georgia to the center of Europe, to Hungary. Although the technical implementation poses many challenges (e.g. the cable capable of carrying one GW of energy under the Black Sea would be the world’s deepest submarine electric cable), we believe the project can soon enter the implementation phase. The feasibility study is currently underway and a joint venture between the four participating countries could be set up soon to manage the project in the future.
- At present, Russia accounts for most of the natural gas supplies to Hungary. Despite the importance of cooperation with Russia, Budapest is trying to reduce its dependence on Moscow for energy supplies. How do you assess the role of cooperation with Azerbaijan in this regard?
- Around 80-85% of Hungary’s natural gas imports come from Russia, with a larger share coming from Türkiye via the Turkish Stream and then the Balkan Stream. Diversification is a cornerstone of Hungary’s energy strategy, so while we have found Gazprom to be a reliable contractual partner and we expect Russian energy sources to continue to be a source of energy in the future, Hungary is seeking to diversify and find as many sources as possible. Azerbaijan’s natural gas production potential and the Southern Gas Corridor, which has been built and is expected to be expanded, provide an opportunity to become a source of gas for Hungary. In 2023, under the agreement between MVM and SOCAR, in addition to the 50 million cubic meters contracted for gas storage in Hungary, physical gas flows to Hungary from Azerbaijan started. The contract was for the purchase of 100 million cubic meters of gas in the first tranche, but this agreement has created the possibility for larger volumes of gas to be supplied from Azerbaijan in the future.
- One of the important moments of bilateral cooperation was the visit of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to Azerbaijan to participate in the Summit of the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA). Important meetings were held during the visit. In your opinion, what else does this visit promise in terms of expanding cooperation between the two countries?
- Indeed, H.E. Prime Minister Viktor Orban took part, as a guest of honor, at the Summit of the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) that was held in Baku, on 23 November 2023. During his visit, PM Orban met with H.E. President Aliyev, and their discussions revolved largely around the topics of energy, economic relations and investments, as well as connectivity - so I believe that these will be the main areas where cooperation between our countries is going to develop in the coming years. Praising the successful bilateral and multilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Hungary, President Aliyev and Prime Minister Orban also agreed that our countries are linked by similar geopolitical interests and visions, which definitely determine the focus of our cooperation, too.
- During his meeting with President Ilham Aliyev, Viktor Orban expressed his gratitude for Azerbaijan's support in bringing Hungary closer to the Turkic family and the development of Budapest's relations with the Organization of Turkic States. Is it likely to see Hungary join the organization in the near future?
- As you probably know, Hungary became an observer in the Organization of Turkic States in 2018, and the European Representation Office of the Organization was opened in Budapest in 2019. Since that time, we have been actively participating in the events and activities of the OTS, which has become an important platform to deepen our cooperation with the Turkic states, especially in the political, economic and cultural fields. Recently, the Drought Prevention Institute of the OTS was set up under the supervision of the Budapest Office, and we are looking forward to joining the activities of the Turkic Investment Fund in the near future. It is also noteworthy that besides the OTS itself, Hungary has excellent and active cooperation with other Turkic organizations, among others those based in Baku, the TURKPA and the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation.
So, as you can see, our relations with the Turkic states have been institutionalized and there is a well-working network of contacts that we can make good use of. Our observer status in OTS provides vast opportunities for cooperation, and we are able to jointly seek answers to the pressing issues. Also, as regards joining the OTS as a full member, I believe that the substantive issues of cooperation are more important than the institutional framework itself.
- A while ago, Viktor Orban called the decision of the Council of the European Union to start membership negotiations with Ukraine a bad decision. But later he assessed it as "a nice gesture of politics". How will Ukraine's membership in the EU be possible?
- In fact, as Prime Minister Viktor Orban put it recently: the decision of the EU to start membership negotiations with Ukraine was “a nice gesture of politics”, but as Kyiv is completely unprepared to join the bloc any time soon, it does not help Ukraine in any way. Most importantly, Ukraine cannot be eligible for EU membership until peace is achieved in the country, as no one wants war to be brought into our community. Also, the European Commission itself has stated that Ukraine does not fulfill the preliminary conditions set for starting membership negotiations. Among others, it obviously violates the most basic rules of the European Union on the rights of national communities and minorities - harming also the Hungarian minority there. Besides, as there is an ongoing war in Ukraine, neither freedom of the media, nor freedom of expression are being observed, and elections are not being held. So, in this situation, it would be absurd if institutions of the European Union were to take a position on the state of the rule of law in Ukraine or on any other accession criteria. For this reason, Hungary considers it timely and absolutely necessary, to hold a strategic debate in the European Union on the EU’s policy towards Ukraine. Such a debate could help us find common ground for our future decisions.
- Returning to bilateral relations again, what is your opinion about Azerbaijan-Hungary cooperation in the field of education. There is close cooperation between the two countries in the education sector. Every year 200 young Azerbaijanis are awarded the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship with the financial support of the Hungarian government. In addition, the Hungarian Language and Culture Center operates at Azerbaijan University of Languages. Is it planned to establish a joint university in the future?
- Indeed, education and the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship Program is a very important segment of our bilateral relations. Last year the embassy, the Ministry of Science and Education and members of the Azerbaijani-Hungarian Alumni Union provided information about this program and university opportunities in Hungary in general to students at major universities outside Baku. I believe that the hospitality of the Hungarian people, the high quality of Hungarian education, the direct flights between Baku and Budapest and the affordable life in Hungary contribute to choosing our country as a destination of study for young Azerbaijanis.
I'm keeping an eye on where else we can work together in the area of university relations which fortunately works very well. I would highlight the ideas in the educational fields of sports and agriculture. I hope that dual training in one of these fields can be implemented in the near future. This would be a very first step towards establishing a joint university in the future.
We do operate a Hungarian Language and Culture Center at Azerbaijan University of Languages. We are grateful to the Rector and Vice-Rectors of the University for hosting our Center where a native Hungarian lecturer works. We support the idea of opening such an Azerbaijani center at one of Budapest's prestigious universities as there is a great need for young professionals who speak both Azerbaijani and Hungarian languages and are familiar with the culture of our countries.