Hungary intensifies cooperation with the USA

US Vice President JD Vance's visit to Budapest has resulted in a series of far-reaching agreements between Hungary and the United States. The focus is on energy, defense and technology - precisely those fields in which governments are currently readjusting strategic dependencies. This is particularly evident in the energy sector. The Hungarian oil company MOL agreed to purchase 510,000 tons of US crude oil worth around 500 million dollars. However, the nuclear component of the trip is even more important: Washington is supporting a preliminary study for the possible deployment of up to ten small modular reactors of American design in Hungary. The estimated volume of this project is 20 billion dollars. The project is flanked by a further agreement between Westinghouse and the state-owned energy company MVM. It concerns the lifetime extension of the Paks 1 nuclear power plant on the one hand and cooperation on small modular reactors on the other. Westinghouse is also to supply Hungary with nuclear fuel. This gives the US-Hungarian energy partnership a strategic depth that clearly goes beyond symbolic declarations of intent. Armaments, satellites, digital infrastructure The visit also sent clear signals in terms of security policy. Hungary announced its intention to purchase US HIMARS missile systems worth 700 million dollars. The White House placed the purchase in the context of NATO's eastern flank and spoke of a contribution to the collective defense capability of the alliance. The procurement is accompanied by a defense memorandum between L3 Harris and the listed Hungarian company 4iG. The aim is to integrate communications technology into the HIMARS system in order to ensure compatibility with NATO and US structures. At the same time, Northrop Grumman and 4iG launched a joint initiative to develop Hungary's first geostationary satellite by 2030. Projects were also agreed in the civil technology sector. Microsoft concluded agreements with the Hungarian government and Gabor Denes University on AI and digital programs for small and medium-sized enterprises. There is also a separate agreement to secure the public sector's digital infrastructure via cloud solutions. In the healthcare sector, GE Healthcare and Semmelweis University are planning to establish an oncology center of excellence. The post Hungary deepens cooperation with the USA appeared first on ostwirtschaft.de.