It was with great sorrow that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary learned of the bomb attack on 17 August 2015 near the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok.
Based on the decision of the General Assembly of the United Nations, the international community has celebrated the World Humanitarian Day on 19 August of every year since 2008. This is when we remember the 22 victims of the bombing of the Baghdad headquarters of the UN on this day in 2003 as well as the generous contribution of those who provide humanitarian aid, and we also seek to draw the attention of the wider public to the current humanitarian challenges we are facing globally.
Thanks to favourable real economic processes, the general government budget deficit-to-GDP ratio of 2.4 percent projected for 2015 is still realistic, as the Government continues to analyse and closely monitor processes, and maintain a prudent fiscal policy, Minister of State for Public Finances Péter Benő Banai said.
On 18 August Deputy State Secretary for European and American Affairs Kristóf Altusz hosted a meeting, with a U.S. congressional delegation led by Rep. Steve Chabot (R-O), Chairman of the House Small Business Committee. The congressional delegation visited Hungary as part of a Central and Eastern European regional tour.
Wages in real terms were up again significantly, by 3.9 percent in the first half of the year, according to the flash report of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH), published earlier this morning. Thus, wages in real terms have been on the rise for two-and-a-half years in Hungary. In comparison to June 2014, private sector enterprises with at least five employees increased their labour force by 45 thousand people.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán congratulated the Hungarian participants who have achieved outstanding results in the WorldSkills 2015 Sao Paolo competition.
Due to its geography, Hungary does not have the resources and technical means appropriate for maritime operations, and it is therefore understandable that it cannot participate in the Triton 2015 operation by the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union (Frontex).
The Government is requesting the parliamentary group of Fidesz and KDNP to initiate the convening of an extraordinary session of Parliament due to the amendments of the Penal Code in connection with illegal migration, Minister János Lázár announced during the break of the cabinet meeting held on Tuesday.
Speaking at a ceremony held on Kecskemét Air Base on Monday, 17 August, Minister of Defence Csaba Hende stated that the Hungary’s participation in the Baltic Air Policing mission is an important task. During the event, the contingent was bidden farewell before leaving for a four-month mission on 27 August.
Minister of Justice László Trócsányi told Serbia’s Pannon RTV on Monday that Hungary has no better solution than building a temporary border barrier along her southern border with Serbia “to stop 1,500–1,600 illegal migrants arriving daily”.