„The Hungarian and Bavarian governments have come to an agreement on all issues regarding the acquisition of MKB Bank Zrt. by the Hungarian state”, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Minister-President of Bavaria Horst Seehofer announced following private talks on Thursday in Munich.
At the joint press conference, Viktor Orbán emphasised that Bavarian-Hungarian economic relations are extremely strong and all conditions are present for a further increase in Bavarian investments in Hungary.
In addition, both parties confirmed that they had come to a mutually acceptable agreement with regard to the MKB acquisition.
The Bavarian Prime Minister stressed that Bavarian-Hungarian relations are traditionally good and thanked the Hungarian people and government for their decisive contribution to German reunification 25 years ago and the struggle to put an end to the division of Europe.
On the subject of economic relations, he pointed out that 40 percent of German investments in Hungary came from Bavaria and there are more than 2 thousand Bavarian companies operating in Hungary.
Cooperation is not only close with regard to the economy, but there is also a high level of agreement with relation to European fundamental values, such as democracy, the right to self-determination and minority rights, and on keeping to them, Horst Seehofer said.
The Bavarians and the Hungarians are both proponents of subsidiarity and the idea of a “Europe of regions”, and it is their common belief that the EU must deal more with “important global issues” and less with smaller issues, he added.
Viktor Orbán emphasised the fact that people around the world generally know less about small nations, and this is why “large and powerful neighbours like Bavaria and Germany itself, who know and understand the Hungarians extremely well, are so important”.
Bavaria “has already achieved some of the goals that we would like to achieve”, because Hungary also wants modern industry, full employment and an entrepreneurial spirit built on economic freedom, Mr. Orbán said.
At their meeting, the two Prime Ministers also reviewed current European issues and the crisis in Ukraine. Viktor Orbán assured his negotiating partner that Hungary agreed with Germany’s standpoint on European issues, whether with regard to fiscal discipline, the stability of the euro or disciplined financial management.
With regard to foreign affairs, Hungary “views Germany as authoritative“, including with regard to the Russia-Ukraine crisis and sanctions against Russia, Prime Minister Orbán underlined.
In reply to questions regarding anti-Semitism and the persecution of Roma, the Prime Minister said that Hungary had a policy of “zero tolerance” with regard to all behaviour that goes against European values and would continue to do everything possible to eradicate such phenomena.
This is all clearly set down in the Hungarian constitution, he emphasised. However, restricting freedoms and increasing anti-Semitism are currently more characteristic of Western Europe, thus taking action against these phenomena is a “common European task”, Viktor Orbán noted.
On the subject of the Andrássy Gyula German Language University of Budapest, Horst Seehofer said that the Free State of Bavaria would continue to provide funding for the institution “without restriction”.
Viktor Orbán added that “we would like to establish other cultural institutions and universities that operate in prominent European languages” to help Hungary “become intertwined” into European cultural life.
(Prime Minister's Office)
