Jordan is a key partner for Hungary in the Middle-East, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Thursday at the ceremonial opening of the Buddha-Bar Hotel Klotild Palace in Budapest.

Budapest’s new luxury hotel with 102 rooms was created in Klotild Palace at the Pest side of Erzsébet Bridge by a corporation of businessmen from Jordan, the Mellow Mood Group. The owners of the company were recently decorated with the Hungarian Gold Cross of Merit in recognition of their services rendered in the field of hotel developments in Hungary.

At the opening ceremony, Viktor Orbán said that the Hungarian Government believed it was a priority to open towards the Arabic world. As regards relations with Jordan, in addition to the key partner status, the Prime Minister also stressed that the kingdom plays a strategic role in security processes in the Middle-East. He further said it is delightful that the hotel industry investors from Jordan truly respect Hungarian traditions and the locals and place an emphasis on providing job opportunities for Hungarians.

This amply demonstrates, which the Arabs understand only too well, and this is why cooperation between them and the Hungarians may be a success, that „even a fair profit is worth little if there is no friendship, if there is no heart in it”, the Prime Minister added. He remarked he is always happy to see when the economy in Hungary offers opportunities not only to Hungarians but also to foreigners.

The Prime Minister believes that the reconstruction of the Klotild Palace may bring back the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Budapest before communism. „This project may, perhaps, also represent the opening of a new era of success for Budapest that brings back the memory of the great old splendour and times”, he said.

In his welcome speech, Jordan’s Honorary Consul Zaid Naffa said, after reminding his audience that the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is celebrating the 66th anniversary of its independence on this very day and relaying the good wishes of the King of Jordan, that Jordan, too, looks upon Hungary as a major strategic partner which is being visited by an increasingly large number of investors and tourists from the Arabic world.

He believes this is in consequence of the fact that the Hungarian Government is open towards the Arabic world. He added that five hotels are expected to be opened in Budapest this year; three of them will be operated by the Mellow Mood Group. The Mellow Mood Group currently operates a dozen hotels in Budapest.

(kormany.hu)