The governments of Hungary and Egypt agreed to closer ties on Tuesday after concluding strategic partnership agreements on issues including migration, education, and nuclear energy.
The bilateral agreements were announced at a press conference in Cairo attended by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
The announcement comes after a Hungarian delegation visit to the African nation this week.
Péter Szijjártó, the Hungarian foreign and trade minister, revealed agreements had been established on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, greater promotion of Hungarian scholarship programs, and mutually beneficial cooperation on topics such as higher education, the economy and energy supply.
Szijjártó revealed the Hungarian delegation had involved more than 20 Hungarian businessmen to provide further insights into the issues affecting key industries and how best the two nations could work together to address global challenges.
The two countries are both committed to increasing their domestic nuclear energy output and are in the process of improving their nuclear infrastructure. The Hungarian trade minister announced a cooperation agreement had been signed on Tuesday to share training and technological research findings in this area.
Another key outcome of the agreements will be Egyptian involvement in Hungary’s natural gas supply starting in 2026, while Hungarian companies will be permitted to make use of the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE) in the future.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán praised the African nation for measures recently taken to upgrade its border security and cap the level of European-bound migration departing from its shores. He further acknowledged the Egyptian government as an ally on the matter of Ukraine, claiming both nations are on the side of peace.
Commenting on the announcement on his Facebook page, Orbán wrote: “In times of danger, reliable partners become more valuable, that’s why we came to Egypt. Like Hungary, Egypt is on the side of peace and calls for a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
“The more of us who represent this position, the greater the chance that the war will end as soon as possible!”
Orbán further praised the “great meeting” with President el-Sisi, insisting that peace and connectivity were vital to “overcome the challenges ahead of Europe and the world.”
“Hungary’s relations with Egypt are now 95 years old and cooperation has never been as good as in recent years,” he added.
