At a conference of the Hungarian Atlantic Council in Budapest on Tuesday 13 October, Minister of Defence Dr. István Simicskó said that for the maintenance of Europe’s security there is a great need for the United States, but the great power also needs Europe. US Ambassador to Budapest Colleen Bell also said that the United States needs a strong Europe, which in turn needs a strong United States.
On Tuesday Minister of Human Capacities Zoltán Balog appointed Zoltán Ónodi-Szűcs Minister of State for Health Care. Before his appointment, Mr. Ónodi-Szűcs was the general director of the State Centre of Healthcare Supply.
In august 2015, the volume of industrial output in Hungary was up by 6.2 percent year-on-year. Thus, the positive output trend has been in place for the 24th consecutive month. The expansion has been mainly the result of output growth in the manufacturing sector – within that the expansion of motor vehicle manufacturing and related sub sectors. The massive stock of orders and high demand for cars on external markets also indicate that growth will continue in coming months.
On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy State Secretary for International Cooperation Ádám Zoltán Kovács attended the first global consultation of the Nansen Initiative in Geneva on 12-13 October 2015. In his speech, he highlighted that Hungary regards supporting the cause of individuals who are compelled to leave their homes in consequence of natural disasters as a particular priority.
The digital economy has been one of the engines of Hungary’s economic growth, Minister for National Economy Mihály Varga said at the ministerial panel meeting of the conference of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Budapest.
At the local nationality festival in the southwest Hungarian city of Pécs on Saturday, Minister of Human Capacities Zoltán Balog said that nationality culture can only thrive if the majority considers it to also be its own. He quoted the father of the Indian independence movement, Mahatma Gandhi, saying that if we want to change the world “we must be the change”.
“The member states of the European Union have declared that the key issue with relation to the migration crisis is how can we protect the EU’s external borders”, Minister of State for EU Affairs Szabolcs Takács said following a meeting of EU Affairs Ministers in Luxembourg.
The Government aims to set up a new, customer-friendly taxation system that is faster and requires less administration and bureaucracy, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Taxation András Tállai said at a press conference after having presented a bill on the rules of taxation to Hungary’s National Assembly.
Credit rating agencies are still reluctant to modify their views on Hungary, but it is soon time to do so, as Hungary has recently had achievements that are outstanding even from a European perspective, Minister for National Economy Mihály Varga told public news channel M1.
The 42nd Session of the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS) began on Monday at the FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy. The agenda includes topics that are of strategic importance to Hungary, such as the responsible management of drinking water sources, improving access to drinking water and the role of the CFS in realising Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).