ERBIL - Strong ties between Hungary and the Kurdistan Regional Government were reinforced with the opening of a new Hungarian consulate in Erbil on Wednesday.
Csaba Vezekenyi, the first Hungarian consul-general, had worked as a public affairs advisor until this spring at Hungary’s MOL Group, the integrated oil and gas company active in Kurdistan since 2007.
MOL was the only one of dozens of foreign operators with equity stakes in Iraqi Kurdistan to make public its purchase of Kurdish crude after 600,000 barrels was delivered to MOL’s refinery in Croatia in late August.
The new consulate is located next door to the offices of MOL's wholly-owned subsidiary, Kalegran.
The company has indicated it wants to buy Kurdish crude for its European refineries on a regular basis. Negotiations on this and on a pipeline connecting Kurdish oil fields under development by MOL are ongoing.
The consulate opening ceremony was attended by officials including Alexander Dodds, MOL's upstream executive vice-president, Tibor Szatmari, Hungary’s ambassador to Baghdad, Qubad Talabani, deputy prime minister in the Kurdistan Regional Government, and Falah Mustafa, head of the KRG’s department of foreign relations.
Mustafa spoke about the KRG’s “open-door policy” towards the international community. “The act of opening a consulate after the events of June and July is testament to our friendship,” he said, referring to Islamic State’s lightening advance across northern Iraq.
International oil companies have since resumed operations although most non-essential staff have remained out of the region.
In another tie-up with Hungary, the KRG was due to sign on Thursday an agreement for an archeological project with Budapest’s Pázmány Péter Catholic University.
Excavation will take place at Dwin Castle, which according to local legend belonged to the family of Saladin, the 12th century Kurdish military hero who overtook the Christian armies of the early crusades.
The castle is about 60 kilometres north of Erbil and the excavation team will initially conduct a geodetic survey and a 3D scanning of the perimeter wall as well as document the surrounding archeological remains, such as buildings and the cemetery.
MOL is a sponsor of the project.
Csaba Vezekenyi, the first Hungarian consul-general, had worked as a public affairs advisor until this spring at Hungary’s MOL Group, the integrated oil and gas company active in Kurdistan since 2007.
MOL was the only one of dozens of foreign operators with equity stakes in Iraqi Kurdistan to make public its purchase of Kurdish crude after 600,000 barrels was delivered to MOL’s refinery in Croatia in late August.
The new consulate is located next door to the offices of MOL's wholly-owned subsidiary, Kalegran.
The company has indicated it wants to buy Kurdish crude for its European refineries on a regular basis. Negotiations on this and on a pipeline connecting Kurdish oil fields under development by MOL are ongoing.
The consulate opening ceremony was attended by officials including Alexander Dodds, MOL's upstream executive vice-president, Tibor Szatmari, Hungary’s ambassador to Baghdad, Qubad Talabani, deputy prime minister in the Kurdistan Regional Government, and Falah Mustafa, head of the KRG’s department of foreign relations.
Mustafa spoke about the KRG’s “open-door policy” towards the international community. “The act of opening a consulate after the events of June and July is testament to our friendship,” he said, referring to Islamic State’s lightening advance across northern Iraq.
International oil companies have since resumed operations although most non-essential staff have remained out of the region.
In another tie-up with Hungary, the KRG was due to sign on Thursday an agreement for an archeological project with Budapest’s Pázmány Péter Catholic University.
Excavation will take place at Dwin Castle, which according to local legend belonged to the family of Saladin, the 12th century Kurdish military hero who overtook the Christian armies of the early crusades.
The castle is about 60 kilometres north of Erbil and the excavation team will initially conduct a geodetic survey and a 3D scanning of the perimeter wall as well as document the surrounding archeological remains, such as buildings and the cemetery.
MOL is a sponsor of the project.
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