The Government will treat support for small and medium-sized companies (SME) as a priority this year, Economy Minister Mihály Varga told a business forum today.

The minister said that the government plans to help increase the share of SMEs in exports from 11 per cent registered in 2012, adding that support will come in the form of state and European Union subsidies and promotion through diplomatic channels.

The government's preparatory work over the past few years has aimed at implementing a strategy of „keeping with the West, opening to the East", shifting exports in this direction, he also informed.

The government also targeted doubling exports by 2020 under an optimistic scenario and raising it by 50 per cent in a more cautious projection.

The minister emphasized, 2013 must be a year of growth, adding that based on data from the first half there appears to be a realistic chance for growth exceeding slightly pessimistic projections. The government forecast 0.7 per cent growth in its latest euro convergence report while the central bank has penciled in 0.6 per cent..

Addressing the forum, Péter Szijjarto, the state secretary for foreign trade and investment, said that foreign policy has changed as a result of the crisis: it has become much more dynamic and a part of domestic politics. Economic endeavours and promotion of economic interests must be more central to foreign policymaking, he said.

He added that after opening trading houses in Baku, Astana and Moscow, Hungary will open such facilities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Beijing in the second half of 2013. Later plans are to open trading houses in Maghreb Union countries and in the South American region as well.

(Ministry for National Economy)