“The Hungarian Government has concluded strategic cooperation agreements with three British companies so far and negotiations have begun with two more”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said on Thursday in Budapest.
The Minister did not disclose the names of the two British companies in question, but reminded the press that the Government had so far concluded strategic cooperation agreements with Tesco, Unilever and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). There are around 8000 British enterprises operating in Hungary, employing some 50,000 people, Mr. Szijjártó added.
The Hungarian Government places great emphasis on supporting processing industry enterprises and regards it as important that further foreign investments are realised in this sector, the Minister said at the event organised by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI).
On relations between the two countries, Mr. Szijjártó explained that Hungary has always regarded the United Kingdom as its ally and it is also in the interests of the European Union that the United Kingdom remain a member of the EU.
The EU needs the British way of thinking and if the United Kingdom were to leave the European Union would become weaker. Hungary agrees with the UK that we must increase competitiveness and afford national parliaments a greater role, the Foreign Minister said.
According to Mr. Szijjártó, whether or not a new world order has come into being is debatable, but we know for a fact that the conditions are totally different than they were a few years ago, and since Hungary would like to stay competitive, and in fact improve its competitiveness, rapid decision-making is required.
Economic growth in Hungary is around 3 percent, unemployment had fallen to 6.2 percent and 4.2 million people are now working and paying taxes, while the budget deficit remains below 3 percent and debt-to-GDP ratio has fallen to below 77 percent, detailed the Foreign Minister, according to whom within Europe Hungary is part of the solution, not part of the problem.
(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)
