Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban to EuroFora : Guarantees for New Era in PanEuropean politics

*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- The paneuropean trend is for a New Era geopolitically, with EU - Russia closer agreements, including on Sea - River Ship Transport of Energy, on the condition that Security and Environment issues find some Guatantees, replied to "EuroFora"s question Victor Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungary, the strategically located Central Europe country at the heart of Danube river, speaking at a Press Conference in EU Parliament in Strasbourg.

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 - Raising a "differend" Question on "Economy", (See other "EuroFora" NewsReport on our 1st Question to Victor Orban, on EU's Identity and Future, debate), "EuroFora" reminded to the Prime Minister of the Strategically located Country for PanEuropean Danube - Rhine Enerhy a.o. links, (See relevant, previous "EuroFora"s NewsReports, including of 12/2010 from Brussels' EU Summit), that, "at the end this Month (January 2012), will be hold the 1st EU Summit on Growth, a factor of which is Energy".

    - But "in Budapest you have the important Danube International Commission,  (equivalent to Strasbourg's Rhine Navigation International Commission), "and a growing number of People speak about the possibility to transport Liquified Natural Gas by ships through Danube and Rhine Rivers, (whose interconexion for grand gabarit Ships  has opened since 2001), at the (mainly Franco-German) industrial Heart of Europe, from Central Asia,  Russia and may be also other Countries", "EuroFora" observed.  

    -"Apparently, there are some Moves going on about it", (f.ex. with recent developments concerning the AGRI project, which has startezd between Romania, Georgia and Azerbaidjan, in concertation with Hungary, etc : See statements made earlier to "EuroFra" by Romanian President Basescu, Georgian President Shakashvili, Moldovan Presiodent Lipiu, Azeri Ministerr for European affairs, etc). "Do you thing that s something New will really emerge from that ?", we asked Victor Orban.

    Replying to "EuroFora"s questions in the most official manner, the popular Prime Minister of this obviously strategic EU country from geopolitical point of view, speaking at a Press Conference at EU Parliament in Strasbourg, was both careful and positif, chosing to put the accent on Hungaria's potential contribution to EU - Russia strategic links prospects, and starting,for the 1st time, too enter into concrete details ;

    - Orban diidn't exclude at all the obviously immense potential of Black Sea - Danube - Rhine Sea and River Ship transport of NLGas from Central Asiaa directly to EU's Industrial centers, but asked, as part of an overall economico-political deal, to have also some energy and security/defense "guarantees" in exchange of a possible Hungarian key contribution at the center of the geopolitical mecanism required for it in order to function properly and at the interest of all countries involved :

    - "As far as I'm concerned, Europe has no other option, but to come to some sort of Agreement with Russia, in a medium term", Victor Orban replied to "EuroFora" on the occasion of Energy geopolitics, but looking at a wider, Historic spectrum.

    => - "This (an EU - Russia Agreement, f.ex. triggered on the occasion of the Black Sea - Danube + Rhine river Energy transports by ships, etc (comp. supra)- is going to be a completely New Era in EU Politics !", the Hungarian Prime Minister positively stressed.

    - Evenmore, "I think (that) this is a PanEuropean trend", he observed.
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    + Moreover, "Danube is very part of our (+ Hungary's) Identity"  and "for the Hungarians any such Invetsment, if you touch upon River Danube this is very Sensitive",  "it's one of the most Sensitive issues", he added.

    -Already, "Danube played an important part during Communism", he reminded. But it was  f.ex. "because they wanted to build a Hudro Plant on", (i.e. another, old project, differend and unrelated  to Ship transport of Enzergy).

    - On this differend, particular point, "we should treat (such issues) Carefully,  and I share the opinion of the Environmentalists", the Hungarian PM. observed, since, "politically, I think that the arguments of Environmentalists are more convincing", as he said on that.

    - But, "I'm not cfompletely deaf to the arguments of Industry", Victor Orban also added.
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    - However, the real thing rather is to alleviate any fear that, "for us, in Central Eastern Europe, alhough we have some Experience on what it' s like, when the rest of Europe strikes a deal with Russia, usually we are at the bitter end of the stick, when such a deal is made", he reminded for the Past, in order to explain why, today, Hungary "would like to see Guarantees", as he asked :

    => In particular, "we'd like to see Guarantees, for Security, for Transport, (etc), the Hungarian Prime Minister explained in concrete terms.

    - "And Guarantees that make sure that our Enrgy supply is secure, because this makes us able to maintain our Independence, in terms of Energy, and Military capablities, and so on", he went on to analyse, adding also security/Defense parameters, (perhaps not so far away from the overal, PanEuropean Security strategic deal that Russian Prezsident Medvedev has been proposing recently through the OSCE, EU - Russia, G8,  and other diplomatic channels : Comp. relevant "EurpoFora"s publications)..

    - "But", at any case, "I don't think that my position - concerning the strategic links between EU and Russia-  should be the cause for the Criticism against us", that the Hungarian government recently faced by some, mainly "Socialist" quarters on other, differend issues, mainly of internalo character, he concluded.