According to Foreign Minister János Martonyi, Russia is one of the strategically important key countries of Hungary's policy of opening towards the East and in shaping bilateral relations. The Government is consciously aiming to build cooperation that is mutually beneficial to both parties and based on pragmatic foundations.

In his written response to a question by independent lawmaker Lajos Oláh concerning bilateral relations, the Foreign Minister pointed out that the authorities are urging for continuous dialogue with the Russian Government and that it was in the framework of this that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow at the end of January.

Testament to the success of this strategy is the growth of bilateral trade turnover in 2010 and 2011,  he said. He added that Hungarian exports to Russia have never been as high since the change of political system as they were in 2011.

He emphasized that the signing of the shareholders' agreement on the construction of the Hungarian section of the Southern Stream gas pipeline at the end of October was a significant event of the past year. The Government declared the investment to be a priority project for national economy, he recalled.

As he wrote, the dynamic development of Hungarian-Russian agricultural ties also continued; Hungarian exports of farming products to Russia increased by 30 per cent over the past two years. Hungarian pharmaceutical companies have also achieved similar success on the Russian market.
He pointed out that the Government intended to settle all outstanding economic issues at the earliest opportunity. The most important tasks are to draft a new version of the long-term gas supply agreement that is to expire in 2015 and to settle the outstanding claims on both sides following the bankruptcy of Malév to the satisfaction of both parties, he said. He added that it is also important to settle the case of Dunaferr in a satisfactory manner. Last November, newspaper Napi Gazdaság wrote that the Government intends to lobby Vneshekonombank, the main owner behind ISD Dunaferr, to sell its share, however it is believed that the Russians have no such intentions.

János Martonyi was of the opinion that it is in the interest of Hungary to maintain and strengthen its positions on the Russian market and to join in primarily state financed – housing development, agriculture, health and education – projects as well as infrastructural development projects related to major sports events such as the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

The engine of cooperation between the two countries is the Hungarian-Russian Joint Economic Commission, he said. He explained that the co-chairs of the Commission, Minister of National Economy György Matolcsy and Russian Minister of Agriculture Nikolai Fedorov, met last Monday in Moscow and that the next meeting of the Commission will be held in the near future in Budapest.

He emphasised that beyond the opportunities presented by bilateral economic cooperation, strengthening cultural ties and broadening education cooperation were also important. There are plans for a Russian cultural season in Hungary in the autumn of 2014, while a similar Hungarian season would be organized in Russia in the autumn of 2015. He also noted that Hungary will be guest of honour at the Moscow International Book Fair and that 2014 is going to be the Year of Hungarian Books in Russia.

The Head of the Foreign Ministry also explained that work is currently underway to draft an agreement on social security and bilateral legal assistance, as well as on the prevention of international crime and the struggle against organized crime.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)