Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó has reopened the Hungarian Embassy in Lima, which was closed in 2006.
In a statement to Hungarian news agency MTI from the Peruvian capital, Mr. Szijjártó highlighted the fact that Latina America has become one of the world’s most rapidly developing regions, within which Peru is also realising a rapid rate of economic growth.
In addition, the Peruvian economy has many similarities to the Hungarian economy, he added, explaining that both are extremely open, both governments’ economic policies regard free trade as an important goal, and both economies are at a stage of dimensional transition in which research & development, innovation and sectors and activities based on high added value are taking over the leading role.
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“For precisely this reason, both countries can benefit significantly from developing political cooperation, and accordingly we decided to reopen the Hungarian Embassy in Lima, which was clods in 2006”, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade underlined.
The Minister stressed that accelerating free trade processes is in the interests of both countries, pointing out that the temporary application of the free trade agreement between the EU and Peru has been in force since 2013, and Hungary was one of the first countries to ratify the agreement that same year, and that it is in our interests for all member states to follow suit as soon as possible so that the agreement can fully come into force.
Mr. Szijjártó specifically highlighted that inter-university relations between the two countries are already extremely dynamic, explaining that the American continent’s oldest university, San Marcos University, has concluded cooperation agreements with the Pázmány Péter Catholic University and the University of Pécs, in addition to which Lima’s University of Music and Dance is also in negotiation with Hungarian partners on cooperation.
The Hungarian Foreign Minister told reporters that the agreement according to which Hungary will be providing university scholarships to 20 students from Peru every year beginning in September 2018 has already been drawn up and will soon be signed.
The Minister also announced that an agreement had been concluded on the Peruvian application of Hungarian water management, pharmaceutical industry and defence industry/border protection technologies, which Peru will be allowing into its markets in accordance with the agreement signed on Wednesday.
“Hungary is highly regarded in Peru” in view of the fact that Hungary provided immediate assistance following the most recent extreme weather following the latest el-Nino effect, and sent the country water purification equipment, which in turn established demand for Hungarian water industry technologies.
“Cooperation between the two countries in international politics is also extremely harmonic and efficient; Hungary is supporting Peru’s bid for membership of the OECD and the two countries are supporting each other’s applications for membership of various UN bodies. Both countries are committed to the fight against terrorism; Peru had had to face a high threat of terrorism recently, and since the situation is the same in Europe, we will also be reinforcing our cooperation to combat terrorism”, Mr. Szijjártó emphasised.
The minister was received in Lima by President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, Foreign Minister Ricardo Luna, President of Congress Luis Galarreta and Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism Eduardo Ferreyros Küppers, in addition to which Péter Szijjártó will be awarded with an honorary degree by San Marcos University, which was founded in 1551, where he will be holding a lecture on the challenges facing the EU and on cooperation between the EU and Latin America.
(MTI)
