“A new tender opportunity for Hungarian enterprises is being launched on Friday with a budget of 25 billion forints (EUR 72 million) to support cross-border investments”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó announced on Tuesday in Parliament.

In reaction to a pre-agenda speech by Fidesz MP Erik Bánki, the Minister said: “Hungarian enterprises that realise investment projects in cross-border areas are eligible to receive a maximum lump sum of 800 thousand euros in funding if they protect Hungarian and cross-border workplaces by doing so”. “The level of funding may reach 60 percent of the invested amount”, Mr. Szijjártó added.

“In Hungary’s case, the country’s borders do not correspond to the nation’s borders, and we also have a responsibility towards Hungarians living on the other side of our borders, and this must also be expressed through decisions, not just with words”, he said in justification.

In reaction to a pre-agenda speech by KDNP Member of Parliament István Simicskó, the Minister also confirmed: “The cross-border economic development programs will also be continuing next year, meaning local Hungarian businesses in Vojvodina, Transcarpathia, Transylvania, Szeklerland, and the Mura and Croatian Baranja regions can count on the Hungarian government funding and assisting their development projects and investments”.

He noted that during the recent visit to Hungary by the Slovakian Prime Minister, the parties had agreed to soon set down on paper the conditions for the continuation of the Upper Hungary Economic Development Program, and an agreement on the Transcarpathian program will hopefully also be reached at next Thursday’s meeting of the Ukraine-Hungary Joint Economic Committee in Kiev.

The Minister drew attention to the fact that over the past four years 55 thousand cross-border Hungarian enterprises have received a total of 129 billion forints (EUR 371.5 million) in funding from the Hungarian budget, thanks to which 236 billion forints (EUR 679.5 million) in investment has been realised. “These investment projects reinforce cross-border Hungarian communities, as well as the economy of the given country, thus contributing to the success of bilateral relations”, he highlighted.

“Supporting cross-border Hungarian communities is a permanent priority task of Hungarian government policy, one goal being to develop a quality of relations with neighbouring countries that assures that cross-border Hungarian communities are not a source of conflict, but can become a resource”, Mr. Szijjártó emphasised. “Joint success stories can provide a foundation for enabling the discussion and resolving of sensitive issues with a good hope of success”, he added.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)