Hungary’s state secretary for foreign affairs Zsolt Nemeth said his country will do its utmost to restore relations with Armenia.

In an interview with Nepszabadsag daily, Nemeth stressed that re-establishing diplomatic relations with Armenia in the next few months was a realistic goal.

He said the issues on Hungary’s extradition of Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan cannot be closed as yet, politics.hu website reports referring to MTI.  

Nemeth noted the decision resulted in “many consequences and tasks” and prompted a “serious bilateral loss of confidence” with the US which was rooted in a “fundamental misunderstanding”.

Nemeth said that “there had been no direct compensation of any kind” for Hungary in return for its decision to transfer Safarov.

Azerbaijan was an important partner not only for Hungary but for the whole of Europe. The country is rich in oil and gas, and has the potential to serve as a transit for alternative energy supplies to Europe, he added.

Although Baku’s move “has left a thorn in the Hungarian government”, Safarov’s case may not have negative consequences impacting Hungarian-Azeri economic cooperation, he emphasized.