Hungary may become the centre of trade from Asia to Europe, State Secretary of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade László Szabó said on Monday in Budapest when opening the international air cargo conference. The objective of the Hungarian Government is to position the country as the gateway of goods transport by rail, water and air.
The State Secretary said that companies intending to come and invest in Hungary would find a pleasant, financially stable environment here, and reminded that according to the fDi Magazine, a publication of the London-based FT Group, Budapest has been ranked the most attractive city in Central and Eastern Europe in 2014-2015 from the point of view of foreign direct investment.
László Szabó said that two thirds of people voted for the government currently in place at the elections this spring, which means stability for at least four additional years, but hopefully longer. Hungary has successfully overcome the global economic crisis; the country managed to become one of the fastest growing economies in Europe – gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 3.9 per cent in the 2nd quarter of this year. He added that Hungary has an open economy: exports account for 83 percent of the GDP, of which 79 percent goes to the EU. We need another pillar to diversify our exports, and it is the policy of ‘Opening to the East’ that should bring more stability.
State Secretary Szabó noted that the Budapest Airport operates the Liszt Ferenc International Airport professionally, and it’s a major partner of the Government. 36 aviation companies are present at the airport, transporting 92,000 tons of cargo by air, and this volume has been constantly increasing.
Budapest Airport (BA), the conference organizer explained that the cargo industry has a most precise economic indicator: even the smallest changes in the global market are reflected in the volume of goods transported by air. It is good news for the sector that the transported volumes are increasing in 2014 both in Europe and North America, so this conference here in Budapest is a great opportunity to discuss further development options and the effect of new technologies on the business.
“It’s a great pleasure for us that we could bring this important event of the air freight transport industry to Budapest”, said BA Property Director René Droese, who is also in charge of cargo development. Hungary with its advanced electronics and pharmaceutical industry can be a natural centre for air cargo companies.
BA said in its statement that Budapest is a natural venue for development due to its central location. The airport has a perfect runway configuration and is able to accept any cargo airplanes of the world. While most Western European cargo transport centres struggle with problems such as air-space restrictions and limited capacities, the airport of Budapest has numerous development sites and a well-functioning cargo infrastructure.
(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade)
