Hungary deepens ties with China through BRI ventures
Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that the government of Hungary has finalised 18 bilateral agreements with China, with key deals focusing on infrastructure projects, some of which also include Serbia.
These agreements were signed during discussions between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, on Xi’s recent state visit to Hungary.
The Foreign Minister stressed that the two nations have compiled a joint roster of ventures under the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Hungary is the only European Union member engaged in the BRI.
In a joint statement on the upgrade of their relationship, Xinhua reported that both China and Hungary said the two sides are committed to enhancing synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Hungary’s “Eastern Opening” policy.
“Leveraging mechanisms and platforms such as the China-Hungary Inter-Governmental Belt and Road Cooperation Committee and the Belt and Road Cooperation Promotion Center, the two sides will pursue deeper and more substantive progress in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, jointly ensure the safety and security and smooth progress of relevant cooperation projects between the two countries, and strive for more fruitful results in practical cooperation,” the statement said.
Among the collaborative ventures, Szijjarto specified the construction of a high-speed railway connecting Budapest airport with the city’s heart, along with the V0 railway circuit, designed to enable freight traffic to circumnavigate the Hungarian capital.
Serbia, which is not a member of the EU, is involved in several joint ventures, which arrived on the agenda directly following Xi’s visit to Hungary. These include the development of “the most modern, largest, safest and fastest border crossing between Hungary and Serbia in Europe” and the establishment of a pipeline bridging the two European nations.
Sources:
- Xinhua, May 10, 2024. http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2024-05/10/content_117180583.htm
- Daily Wrap, 10 May 2024. https://dailywrap.uk/hungary-deepens-ties-with-china-through-strategic-agreements-and-bri-ventures,7026021918447745a