“Andorra will be an important ally of Hungary in two important matters, with relation to the Ukrainian Education Act and EU tax harmonisation aspirations”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in a statement to Hungarian news agency MTI on Tuesday, summarising his official visit to Andorra.
During his two-day visit, the Minister held talks with Andorran Prime Minister Antoni Martí Petit, Foreign Minister Maria Ubach Font and Speaker of Andorra’s Parliament Vicenc Mateu Zamora.
“Andorra is extremely sensitive to minority issues”, Mr. Szijjártó said following the meetings, stressing that Ukraine’s recently adopted new Education Act grossly violates the rights of the Hungarian minority.
“They are on our side in this issue, they are supporting us, and will be supporting the Hungarian standpoint at all European forums on which this issue will be raised, including the Council of Europe”, he said.
He and the Andorran political leaders had agreed that to take away the rights of minorities in 21st century Europe was “simply unacceptable”, he told the press.
According to the Foreign Minister, the two countries also share a common standpoint with regard to the fact that the introduction of tax harmonisation within the European Union would be extremely detrimental to both Hungary and Andorra.
“Both economies and both countries have worked very hard to become competitive, and have achieves their competitive economic positions through low levels of ta”, he said, adding that for precisely this reason they both support “economy policy concepts built on national specialities that are based on low taxes”.
Mr. Szijjártó also spoke about the fact that Hungary is a strong supporter of the earliest possible realisation of an association agreement between the European Union and Andorra, and of the acceleration of related negotiations.
He told the press that he and his negotiating partners had agreed to immediately commence talks on preventing double taxation, aimed at concluding an agreement on the subject during the first half of next year.
Following his visit to Andorra, the Hungarian Foreign Minister will be travelling to Barcelona, where according to his statement he will be meeting with the directors of ten major Spanish companies and with various Chamber leaders to discuss job-creating investments in Hungary.
(MTI)
