In response to a press release from the US Department of State on Tuesday, the press chief of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said that the Hungarian government has a clear interest in reaching an agreement on the issue of Central European University (CEU), and it is unfortunate that no support for this process has been forthcoming from the US federal government.
On Tuesday, at the official opening of the Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) Laser Research Centre in Szeged, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán called the complex the largest scientific development project in modern Hungarian history. “The Research Centre is not a project enabling us to catch up with Europe, but one with which Europe is catching up with the world”, the Prime Minister said.
The Government will assess the situation in the wake of the Manchester bombing on Wednesday, János Lázár, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office said in answer to a journalist’s question after the Tuesday in-camera meeting of the National Security Committee of Parliament in Budapest.
“The attack in Manchester on Monday evening was the most malicious terrorist attack possible in view of the fact that it was common knowledge that many children would be present at the event”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said.
“Next year’s budget will provide assistance to those who want to move forward through work in Hungary; the budget places particular emphasis on job creation, supporting families and security”, Parliamentary State Secretary Csaba Dömötör from the Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister said at a press conference in Budapest on Tuesday. Minister of State for Labour Market and Vocational Education Péter Cseresznyés from the Ministry for National Economy pointed out that several areas will be receiving additional funding.
“Last year, the production value of the Hungarian automotive industry grew to a record level of 7874 billion forints, and the latest investments by the Audi Group are contributing to achieving a further increase in production”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó highlighted at a press conference organised by Audi Hungarian Cls. on Tuesday in Győr.
“The Hungarian Government’s Eastern Opening strategy is gaining in importance, and is not only aimed at acquiring export markets, but also at attracting capital”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said at the annual general meeting of the Hungarian Foreign Affairs Association.
The volume of retail sales grew by 3.3 percent and 3.4 percent in March 2017 and in Q1 2017, respectively, in Hungary. The Ministry for National Economy expects the existing upward trend, in place for 45 months, to persist in the remainder of the year, thanks – among other factors – to job growth, the Government-initiated six-year wage agreement and low inflation.
According to Viktor Orbán, we are seeing a repeat of the attacks against Hungary of four years ago, but with much greater intensity and force, and infused with a great deal of hatred. The Prime Minister was speaking in an interview aired on Monday evening on Slovenian television channel Nova 24.
Bertalan Havasi, the Prime Minister’s Press Chief, has informed the government news portal kormany.hu that, following the terror attack in Manchester, Prime Minister Orbán has written a letter of condolence to British prime minister Theresa May.