It is in Hungary's interests that talks between Malaysia and the European Union on a free trade pact should advance forward and reach an agreement as quickly as possible, Foreign Minister János Martonyi declared following his meeting with his Malaysian counterpart in Budapest on Wednesday.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman, János Martonyi said that negotiations on the free trade agreement were "not easy" but that hopefully the talks would lead to a successful outcome and Hungary would like to contribute to this process.
The Hungarian Foreign Minister noted that they had discussed bilateral issues and explored further ways of cooperation. He stated that an agreement on economic cooperation would soon be signed between the two countries and that opportunities for cooperation were particularly promising within the areas of agriculture, water management and biotechnology.
Mr Martonyi said that Hungary had offered 40 scholarships to Malaysian students within the framework of educational cooperation and pointed out that Malaysia would be taking over the Presidency of ASEAN in 2015, which adds particular significance to developing relations with Malaysia.
Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said that Hungarian companies could take part in the booming tourism industry in Malaysia, and especially in the construction and operation of 2-4-star hotels. Both ministers stressed the need to involve small and medium-sized enterprises in bilateral economic cooperation.
The Malaysian Foreign Minister said his country was grateful to Hungary for supporting its bid to become a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
Mr Martonyi, in his closing remarks, anticipated that the Hungarian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur would reopen within a couple of months. When asked about the jetliner that has been missing since Saturday, Minister Aman said the Malaysian authorities had no exact information about what had happened to it but still held hope that the passengers and the crew "are in good hands".
(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
