We concluded highly important educational and economic agreements with Thailand, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó told the Hungarian news agency MTI on Sunday from Bangkok.

Mr Szijjártó said that they agreed with the Thai authorities on the continued operation of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University in Hungary. The university is in cooperation with the Dharma Gate Buddhist College.

The Thai Government is ready to ensure that the institution “fully comply with the new Hungarian higher education legislation”, the politician pointed out.

As part of the educational agreements, forty scholarship holders will come to Hungary from Thailand annually as of next September, the Minister informed MTI.

At the same time, the Minister highlighted that the Thai authorities will lift the ban on importation imposed on Hungary on account of the outbreak of avian influenza, and the exportation of goose and duck liver, newly-hatched chicks and eggs to the Southeast Asian country may resume.

Mr Szijjártó took the view that, with the broadening of the middle classes in Thailand, there is increased “interest in Hungarian food industry products at the higher end of the quality spectrum”.

Thailand will also play an important role in the development of Mol’s petrochemical plant in Tiszaújváros as the majority of the required modules will be manufactured there. Thanks to the mega-project, Central Europe’s largest and the European region’s fifth largest polyol factory will be built in Tiszújváros.

The politician urged the re-opening of free trade talks between the European Union and Thailand which had come to a halt, as well as the conclusion of partnership and cooperation agreements between the parties. Mr Szijjártó highlighted that these would constitute further Hungarian export opportunities.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade will pay a visit to Myanmar between 19 and 21 November where he will attend the Foreign Minister’ Meeting of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) to be held in Nay Pyi Taw. ASEM is an organisation which comprises 30 European and 21 Asian countries as well as the European Union, and its mission is to promote relations between the countries of the two continents.

(MTI)