“The pandemic situation necessitates unhindered international trade flow and the abolition of limits on the level of investment funding that can be provided without the need for an EU procedure”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó declared on Thursday following an online discussion with ministers of foreign economy and foreign trade of European Union’s member states.

During the meeting, Mr. Szijjártó said Hungary is affording all of its neighbours unrestricted border entry for freight shipments. “During the epidemic crisis, supplying the population can only be assured via the unrestricted flow of goods, and accordingly all states should provide rapid an unhindered passage”, he added.

At the meeting, the Minister also told his EU counterparts that next week the government will be submitting a proposal to the European Commission with relation to the easing of investment promotion regulations. According to the current regulations, governments may only provide a maximum of 800 thousand euros in funding to promote investment. “The abolition of the restrictions would contribute to rebooting the European economy”, Mr. Szijjártó emphasised.

The Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade said that in his assessment, experience to date indicates that only solutions provided by member states are truly effective. “For this reason, in addition to international cooperation, the freedom to act of member states must be preserved”, Mr. Szijjártó added.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)