At an international anti-corruption conference in Beijing on Tuesday, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs at the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice Bence Rétvári said that corruption is not a country-specific phenomenon and that everywhere ‘It has destructive effect on economic growth and society, it undermines the stability of states and presents an enormous challenge for many nations.’

Mr. Rétvári underlined the importance of ridding the public sphere of corruption and he presented the Hungary’s anti-corruption programme. He spoke of behaviour ‘springing from human weaknesses’ found in all countries and cultures. Such practices are increasingly difficult to combat, in part because those engaged in them strive to eliminate evidence of their crimes in an ever more sophisticated way, with the latest technology.

Mr. Rétvári said that Hungary was invited to the conference and is playing a prominent role in it because the relations between the two countries are becoming increasingly close, and because Hungarian anti-corruption policy is widely seen as a model to follow.

Experts, diplomats and government-level politicians from 44 countries in Central and Eastern Europe and Asia are attending the conference, which started on Tuesday.

The Minister of State said that Hungary and China are preparing a bilateral agreement on combating corruption, which is a further sign of increasing links between the countries. On Tuesday the Minister of State also had talks with Ma Wen, who heads China’s Ministry of Supervision, which is responsible for efficient, disciplined, transparent and honest governance, as well as the training of public servants.

Mr. Rétvári said that this week he will make contact with the Chinese Friendship Societies’ Alliance to consult on cooperation at local government level. He will also visit the Academy of Social Sciences to discuss the opportunities for specialist cooperation between the two countries, their various universities and specialist organisations.

(Ministry of Public Administration and Justice)