“Hungary will never support proposals in Brussels that would worsen the situation of the German automotive industry, including the Bavarian automotive industry”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó declared on Friday in Brussels.
The Minister told reporters with relation to his meetings in the Bavarian capital that he had assured the directors of Audi and BMW that in Brussels the Hungarian Government always represents a position that corresponds to Hungarian interests, and that Hungarian interests and Bavarian interest “correspond to the maximal possible extent” with relation to the fact that Brussels attempts to realise the European Union goals to be achieved by 2030 within the field of climate policy must be rejected.
According to Brussels, pollutant emission targets must become stricter, which would mean a “dramatic blow to the competitiveness of the German and Bavarian automotive industries” and would “also mean major damage to the Hungarian economy”, and accordingly Hungary will not be supporting this initiative, Mr. Szijjártó explained.
He also spoke about the fact that on Wednesday and agreement had been reached with the directors of BMW on the details of the Hungarian state financial support to be provided to the company’s plant investment project in Debrecen, meaning the funding agreement with the Bavarian car manufacturer can now be signed on 12 October. Every single element of the contract will be made public, including the amount to be provided by the Government he highlighted.
Mr. Szijjártó pointed out that Germany is Hungary’s most important economic partner, and that within Germany the closest economic and investment cooperation has been developed with Bavaria, as a result of which over a quarter of German investment in Hungary comes from Bavaria and 35 percent of Hungarian exports to Germany are destined there.
Exports to Bavaria increased significantly by 20 percent during the first half of this year, and “there is a good chance that exports to Bavaria could exceed 10 billion euros for the first time in the history of the Hungarian economy”, the Minister said.
Bavarian enterprises provide jobs to 45 thousand people in Hungary and have invested over 10 billion euros in the country, and there are 130 companies that are large even by Bavarian standards, which wave a plant or commercial unit in Hungary, he added.
The performance of the Hungarian economy is to a major extent determined by the automotive industry and “it is now not an overstatement to claim that it is to a major extent determined by Bavarian industry”, in view of the fact that Audi has been present in Hungary for 25 years, employs 13 thousand people and is realising a 9 billion euro investment, and BMW has also decided to construct its newest plant in Hungary”, he explained.
The Minister told reporters that in addition to Audi and BMW, he has in recent days also held talks with the directors of Volkswagen and the Schaeffler Group, which already employs five thousand people in Hungary, and he did not sense any kind of “doubts” on their part, “of the kind being suggested by the Hungarian, German or international press”.
“The leaders of these major corporation believe their own eyes and in their own experiences, not in scare-mongering, trumped-up scandals or reporters who tell lies about Hungary”, Mr. Szijjártó declared.
With relating to the fact that Hungary’s new consulate building in Munich will be opening on Friday, the Minister highlighted the fact that relations between Hungary and Bavaria are becoming increasingly close. The Bavarian economy “is playing a key role in the success of the Hungarian economy”, there is friendship between the Hungarians and Bavarians, and “we think similarly with relation to the most important issues affecting the future of Europe”, including security and our insistence on Christian values, he stated.
Accordingly, “it is right and desirable for Hungary to suitably represent itself in the Bavarian capital, and for this reason we have transferred the Consulate-General to a building that is “worthy of Hungary, Hungarian-Bavarian relations, and the level of Hungarian-Bavarian friendship”, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade said.
In addition to meeting with business leaders, during his visit to Munich the Hungarian Foreign Minister also met with Bavarian Economy Minister Franz Josef Pschierer, Minister of Digital, Media and European Affairs Georg Eisenreich, and former state Prime Minister and honorary Chairman of Bavaria’s governing Christian Social Union (CSU) Edmund Stoiber.
(MTI)
