The Hungarian Minister of Agriculture and the Romanian Ambassador discussed the importance of cooperation with relation to the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and improving communication within the field of environmental protection.

Minister of Agriculture Sándor Fazekas and Romania’s Ambassador to Budapest Marius Gabriel Lazurca discussed bilateral and EU-level agricultural and environmental issues. During his first introductory visit since being assigned to the post last September, Ambassador Lazurca praised Hungary’s achievements within the field of agriculture and the food industry, and described the positive agricultural trade relations that exist between our two countries as favourable. The parties agreed that it is in the mutual interests of both countries to ensure that the existing acquis of the Common Agricultural Policy are not reduced in the upcoming financial period, and that the level of available funding should not diminish.

The Visegrád Cooperation, in which Romania has been a participant for years, is playing an increasingly important role in representing our common interests. Minister Fazekas explained that Hungary is also counting on the active participation of Romanian colleagues in expert and leadership-level work during the course of the Hungarian Presidency of the Visegrád Group (V4), which it will assume in July of this year, the first stop of which will be the summit of V4 agriculture ministers to be held on the sidelines of Hungary’s OMÉK agriculture and food industry expo in September.

During the meeting, the Minister of Agriculture highlighted the importance of continuous dialogue, the sharing of information, and communication within the field of environmental protection, in addition to which he called for the convening of the Hungarian-Romanian Environmental Joint Committee at the earliest opportunity. Mr. Fazekas declared that close cooperation between the relative authorities was indispensable for the success of joint efforts. In addition, the Hungarian Minister put forward the possibility of establishing an internationally important cross-border aquatic habitat along the Upper Tisza River involving cooperation between Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania and Hungary, which the Romanian Ambassador promised to relay to the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Bucharest.

(Ministry of Agriculture Press Office)