This year’s International Green Week opened with an extravagant gala in Berlin yesterday evening. At the opening ceremony, Minister of Agriculture Sándor Fazekas told the around 3,000 participants of the gala why it is both important and an honour for Hungary that we have been invited to be guest of honour at Europe’s largest and most prestigious agriculture and food industry expo.
“Hungary’s 33 exhibitors will be giving Berlin’s trade representatives and public a taste of our values, which we hope will be sampled by as many of the 400.000 visitors as possible, so that they may spread the word about Hungary’s high quality products”, the Minister said. “Hungary is basing its future on traditional agriculture and food production that is sustainable and free of genetic manipulation”, Mr. Fazekas explained.
“It is through an agriculture that produces sustainable, healthy and quality foods that we see the future of our children as guaranteed. It is no accident that the Hungarian motto for this year’s Green Week is “Traditionally, Diversely, Naturally”. And indeed, it is from these values that Hungary’s agriculture gains its strength, competitiveness and economic performance”, the Minister said.
“Hungary has been called the continent’s pantry many times throughout the course of history. Our soil and climate are highly suited for the production of high quality, safe and valuable agricultural products”, Mr. Fazekas pointed out.
“Maintaining the excellent reputation of Hungarian agriculture in a changing world requires deeply rooted historical foundations, the hard work and expert knowledge of Hungarian farmers and a responsible and forward-looking agricultural policy and way of thinking”, he continued.
“We are linked to our German friends via a thousand-year-old historical, economic and cultural relationship”, said the Minister, who called Germany Hungary’s most important trade partner and number one political ally. “We thank our kind host for having invited us to Berlin. We are proud of the fact that it was the Hungarians who knocked out the first brick from the wall that divided the city, Germany and Europe by force”, Mr. Fazekas stated.
In addition to German Minister of Agriculture Christian Schmidt, EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan, Chairman of the Federation of German Food and Drinks Industries (BVE) Wolfgang Ingold, President of the German Farmer’s Association (DVB) Joachim Ruchwied and Mayor of Berlin Michael Müller also gave speeches at the opening ceremony.
(Ministry of Agriculture Press Office)
