In the ever keener world economic competition, both Hungary and Slovakia have a fundamental economic interest in improving (the infrastructure) links between the two countries, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó told Hungarian journalists in Pozsony on Friday.
The head of Hungarian diplomacy attended a joint panel discussion of the Foreign Ministers of the Visegrád Four (Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Poland) at the security policy forum Globsec held in Pozsony, and the parties also conducted several bilateral talks, each of them with Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcák. One of the priority issues of this meeting was the further enhancement of the number of infrastructure links that connect the two countries together and the acceleration of the projects already under way.
Mr Szijjártó said: rendering the infrastructure links between the two countries denser is also extremely important in the context of the struggle fought for foreign investments targeting the region, in addition to other criteria.
"Whichever of us should be awarded a project, the other one, too, should be able to profit from it", the Foreign Minister highlighted. He said: projects implemented near the border have an impact on people living on both sides of the border as well as on the local labour markets.
Regarding plans concerning the enhancement of infrastructure links between the two countries, Mr Szijjártó said: the construction of the bridge planned as a project worth EUR 91 million to connect Komárom and Révkomárom in Slovakia together will start in September, a proposal has recently been submitted to the EU with respect to a new bridge on the River Ipoly, there are plans for another four, and a new ferry link is also being planned, along with the opening of new border crossing stations. In the case of the latter, the goal is for the density of border crossing stations between the two countries to approximate the European average.
"Our next initiative is to connect Dunaszerdahely and Győr together with an express road and a new bridge at Vámosszabadi", the Foreign Minister highlighted, who requested the Slovak Government’s “intensive support” for the project during the course of his meeting with Miroslav Lajcák.
Mr Szijjártó also met with the leaders of the Party of the Hungarian Community (MKP) at the Pozsony Embassy of Hungary during the course of his Friday visit, with whom he discussed topical issues concerning the Hungarian community in Slovakia and the economy boosting package planned to be implemented by the Hungarian Government in the Hungarian-inhabited territory of Slovakia.
(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)
