Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó on Tuesday held talks with Baghdad Amreyev, Secretary General of the Turkic Council, the foreign ministry said.

In its statement, the ministry said the Hungarian government’s opening to the East policy plays a vital role in the country’s foreign policy. Hungary’s trade turnover with Turkey and the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus region has expanded dynamically in recent years, and more and more students from that region are applying for Hungarian scholarships, the statement said.

The Turkic Council’s chamber of commerce is ready to welcome Hungary to the organisation, just as the Turkic University Association is open to welcoming Hungarian universities, it added.

At the talks, Szijjártó said that Hungary was ready for the Turkic Council to set up its European representative office in Budapest.

Hungary was granted observer status in the council on September 3 last year.

featured image via MTI/KKM/ Márton Kovács