HUNGARY: Azeri President Ilham Aliyev meets with his Hungarian counterpart Laszlo Solyom in Budapest

Record ID: 217992

  • Title: HUNGARY: Azeri President Ilham Aliyev meets with his Hungarian counterpart Laszlo Solyom in Budapest
  • Date: 19th February 2008
  • Summary: CEREMONIAL GUARDS STANDING AZERI AND HUNGARIAN NATIONAL FLAGS BILLOWING
  • Embargoed: 5th March 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Hungary
  • Country: Hungary
  • Topics: International Relations,Energy
  • Reuters ID: LVAAPYZSKJICDMWYYKOML2UEH5YX
  • Story Text: President of Azerbaijan starts his two day visit to Hungary to discuss trade ties and the future of planned Nabucco gas pipeline.
    Azerbaijan president Ilham Aliyev arrived in the Hungarian capital Budapest on Monday (February 18) for a two day visit designed to boost trade and cultural ties between the two countries.
    With an official welcoming ceremony complete with ceremonial guards on horseback, Hungarian president Laszlo Solyom welcomed his Azeri counterpart into the presidential palace for talks. The two delegations signed an agreement on economic cooperation between the two countries and another avoiding dual taxation.
    On the second day Aliyev will meet Hungarian prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsany for talks which are likely to focus on energy security.
    Azerbaijan is in negotiation with the European Union as a possible natural gas source for the Nabucco pipeline project, aimed at piping gas from the Caspian to Europe.
    The project, designed to pump gas via Turkey and the Balkans to Austria through 3,300 km (2,051 miles) of pipeline, is a key plank in the European Union plans to ease dependence on Russian gas yet has been slammed for delays.
    On January 24 Aliyev met with Gyurcsany at the World Economic Forum in Davos where the two discussed plans for the Nabucco gas pipeline and possibilities for the European sale of Azeri gas.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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