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Hungary looks to Oman for energy requirements

MUSCAT — As everyone continues to feel the pinch of a global economic crisis that has hardly spared anyone, it’s easy to dwell on the damage it has done to the economies around the world. The difference, though, lies in getting together, picking up the pieces and putting together a whole new picture. Making a new beginning. Many new beginnings in fact.

That is what countries around the world are doing at the moment; seeking and offering new avenues of investment, increased cooperation in the areas of art, culture, education and trade.

Despite the obvious thrust on economic ties, the biggest plus from this exercise is an increased awareness of each other’s stands, values and traditions, leading to a better understanding among the nations of this world.

Ferenc Gyurcsany, the Hungarian prime minister, was in town yesterday on the first ever prime ministerial visit to Oman, seeking ways to promote increased economic cooperation as well as deal with the energy crisis his country is facing.

But he was also glad to find the two countries shared a common ground on various issues of importance and should have made this beginning much earlier.

“All of us are sharing the hope that this global economic crisis will end in the next 18 months but we must act to deal with the current situation which obviously worries everyone. I must say our (Oman-Hungary) cooperation and collaboration should have started earlier.”

“Oman is also one of the most active investors in this region and we would like to benefit from this by expanding our technical cooperation in various other fields,” he added while talking to English media soon after addressing a press conference conducted in French and Arabic.

Hungary, like the rest of the European countries, is facing an acute energy crisis. Nearly 80 per cent of the gas it consumes comes from Russia and the current gas crisis which has been troubling the European countries has forced them to look elsewhere. Oman is one of the leading natural gas exporting countries in the world. The Sultanate also has liquefied natural gas plant that supercools gas so it can be exported by ship.

“We want to decrease our dependence on one source and that is why we are looking at this region to develop LNG facilities. We have also had very deep negotiations with countries like Croatia.”

The Hungarian premier believes a mutually beneficial environment can bring Oman and Hungary closer in the near future.

“We are looking at strategic cooperation as we are dependent on energy that comes from abroad. Both the countries find themselves reactive to the challenges facing them.”

This is the first visit of a Hungarian prime minister to Oman but could be the beginning of mutual cooperation.

“This could be a short-term response to the crisis but I am sure it will lead to stronger ties as we are looking to build strategic cooperation, specially in energy and food sectors.”

Gyurcsany believes his visit could be the first step to a long-term fruitful association.

“We have made a beginning and would now like to build on it. We would like to intensify our bilateral cooperation, not just in the field of energy but also in IT, tourism and infrastructure.”