"Projects costing a total of some 35 billion forints (EUR 110m) are underway at and around Lake Tisza to ensure that Hungary's most important eco-tourism region can welcome visitors with higher quality services and an improvement in the standard of living of local residents", Minister for Rural Development and Member of Parliament for the Greater Cumania region Sándor Fazekas told Hungarian news agency MTI on Saturday at Abádszalók during his visit to the Lake Tisza Expo.

Mr. Fazekas said the most important development projects are those that enable faster and simpler access to the region, such as the construction on new roads connecting Tiszafüred and Füzesabony, and between Karcag and Kunmadaras.

Plans for the upcoming year or two include expanding transport opportunities between the towns of Tiszafüred and Hortobágy, as well as the construction of a cycling route connecting Poroszló and Tiszafüred, which will run parallel to the Tisza River and across its bridges, he added. Mr. Fazekas indicated that the lakeside development programmes included the renovation of the promenade and the modernisation of the related background institutions at Abádszalók within the framework of a state tender.

In several settlements, the open air baths will be modernised in conjunction with their local governments. Minister Fazekas pointed out that Lake Tisza is one of Hungary's most popular locations for anglers, and accordingly a fish ladder will also be constructed within the framework of the Lake Tisza Complex Project.

The Lake Tisza Expo was paganised for the first time on 2-4 May of this year and was held in Abádszalók at Attila Bay. The thematic exhibition involving aquatic sports and angling included several cultural programmes and a cooking competition.

(MTI)