In an interview with Napi Gazdaság, Minister of State for Economic Diplomacy Levente Magyar said that Hungarian foreign trade policy has several dimensions; apart from the strategies of eastward and southward opening, it also attaches great importance to increasing trade with neighbouring countries.

Mr. Magyar explained that in order to achieve this goal, in May Hungary will open twenty-two trading houses in the neighbouring countries and Poland.

The Minister of State pointed out that SMEs must be granted new opportunities to increase their exports, in order to better exploit the internal resources of Hungarian foreign trade. He added that one of the Government’s objectives is to increase the number of SMEs – currently 2000–2500 companies – by four or five times; regional markets are an essential part of this endeavour. There are now two foreign trade diplomats working towards this goal in each of the neighbouring countries’ capitals.

“We strongly believe that the economic activity of Hungarians abroad can only be strengthened through close cooperation with our neighbouring countries”, Mr. Magyar said. He added that regions abroad populated by Hungarian citizens can only retain their inhabitants if the local economy grows and is able to provide a livelihood for people. This is in the interest of both the Hungarian government and the countries concerned, he said.

(MTI/Prime Minister's Office)