Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said that Slovenia and Hungary’s economic and energy cooperation is the most effective yet, and both parties are open to further boosting ties.
Minister Szijjártó met the Slovenian foreign minister and the energy minister on the sidelines of the Bled Strategic Forum on Monday and discussed the main issues of cooperation with them. Bilateral trade hit new records last year and surpassed 4 billion euros, with “significant” growth registered in the first half of 2024, too, Minister Szijjártó said. He said Hungarian companies are also gaining traction in Slovenia and contributing to its development, pointing to the Hungarian bank OTP, which has just become a market leader in Slovenia. “We are also proud to see [Hungarian oil and gas company] MOL becoming second on the fuel market, having bought several stations.” Meanwhile, he said Hungary and Slovenia are also on the same ground regarding the European Union’s enlargement, which they see as crucial for the bloc’s future. “Hungary and Slovenia are both pro-enlargement. They are convinced that the EU has at least as much interest in integrating the Western Balkans as vice versa,” he said.