Interior Minister Sándor Pintér held negotiation in Vienna with Austrian Federal Minister of the Interior Johanna Mikl-Leitner and Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic on common fight against illegal migration.
Commemorations were held in Japan and worldwide to remember the victims of the powerful earthquake and the ensuing devastating tsunami striking Japan on 11 March 2011.
On 20 March 2012 Hungarian Foreign Minister János Martonyi paid an official visit to Bucharest. He participated in discussions with Romanian Foreign Minister Cristian Diaconescu and was received on a courtesy visit by Romanian Prime Minister Mihai Razvan Ungureanu and Head of the Senate Vasile Blaga. János Martonyi attended a meeting with Hunor Kelemen, President of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ) as well.
Minister of State for Development Policy Coordination Ágnes Molnár participated in the consultation of heads responsible for cohesion policy in the Visegrád countries and Slovenia on 22 March 2012 in Prague. During the meeting the parties accepted a joint statement on their position regarding the proposed regulation package on the future of cohesion policy.
The Transport Council discussed the draft regulation on trans-European transport network development in the first reading. Member State ministers for transport approved of a general approach on the draft on 22 March 2012 in Brussels. The proposed regulation, which is of outstanding significance for Hungary as well as the Central European region for both transport policy and economic considerations, sets out the directions of developing the European Union’s transport network up to 2050. Once the issues previously giving reason for concern had been reassuringly settled, the Hungarian delegation headed by Minister of State for Infrastructure Pál Völner voted for the approval of the general approach.
In an interview given on Bavarian public television, PM Viktor Orbán said that before the last change of government, Hungary was in a more difficult situation than Greece, but that in the future, it will be a model for others, thanks to the Government’s reform policies, and the ability of Hungarians to regain their footing.
The experience our soldiers gain in mission areas can be put to good use in the interest of territorial defence, the armed defence of the Homeland”, said Dr. Csaba Hende on March 20. The Minister of Defence attended in Szolnok the “Welcome Home” ceremony for the 11th rotation of the HDF Provincial Reconstruction Team (HUN PRT-11) and the farewell ceremony for the troops to deploy with the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).
According to the latest flash report of the Central Statistical Office, on the basis of data adjusted for calendar effects, in January 2012 the volume of retail sales was higher by 0.6 percent in comparison to the corresponding period of the previous year. This figure places Hungary among the twelve EU member countries which registered growth compared to the first month of 2011.
The National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA) together with its partner institute, the French National School of Administration - Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA), the Budapest French Institute (BFI) and the French Embassy in Budapest organised a joint conference with a programme to focus on giving a better understanding of the current public administration reforms in both countries.
Hungarian-French Conference Entitled “Modernisation Of Public Administration: Public Service Training Challenges in France and Hungary” was hosted by the Budapest French Institute on 21 March 2012.
The refurbishment of the Castle Bazaar and the royal gardens of the Buda Castle may begin this autumn. The Danube Bank side of the Buda Castle, a world heritage site, the so-called Castle Bazaar may finally be refurbished after decades of decay. This reconstruction project is one of the top priority projects of the Government. The refurbishment of the monument situated in the very heart of the capital, a sight that greatly determines the panoramic view of Budapest, is of particular significance also from a tourism point of view and for the entire national economy.
26 Hungarian companies brought home 142 medals, including 18 gold, from the Destillata International Fruit Sprits Competition, the largest competition of its kind in Central Europe, held in Tyrol, Austria. The awards from the competition, held in March, were presented to Hungarian producers and distillers in Budapest by Wolfgang Lukas, Managing Director of Destillata, State Secretary for Rural Development Zsolt V. Németh, and Mrs. Gábor Panyik, President of the Hungarian Pálinka Distillers' Guild Association.
Good figures are emerging: in 2011 real wages increased substantially by 6 percent
The European Commission should include in a report due out in April a detailed assessment of each member's Roma strategy instead of a general and concise assessment of the Roma inclusion strategy in Europe, the Hungarian state secretary for social inclusion said on Thursday.
On of the gravest issues of Hungary is low employment rate. While the rate of employment in several segments of social groups which are active in the economy is around the EU average, there are a number of well-definable focal points where we have been lagging behind the EU. Such groups include the 50+ generation, career starters, the unskilled or young women with little children. Furthermore, regional differences are also huge in the country.
The strong presence of German businesses in Hungary suggests that the economies of the two countries "will slowly but surely entwine", Prime Minister Viktor Orban said during a visit to Munich on Thursday.
If Hungary wants to increase its competitiveness it has to tolerate criticism and fight each debate even if "its chances to win are limited with regard to the size of the country", Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in a lecture in Munich on Thursday, but added that he hoped the next few years will be a success story for the country.
Hungary will maintain its presence in the EU-led military operation ALTHEA in Bosnia-Herzegovina as long as necessary, Defence Minister Csaba Hende told journalist at a press conference held after a meeting of EU Defence Ministers in Brussels on Thursday, 22nd March.
Joint Hungarian-British governmental consultations were held today in Budapest headed by UK Cabinet Minister Oliver Letwin and Minister of State Mihály Varga of the Prime Minister’s Office.
The Government of Hungary wishes to take this opportunity to congratulate academician Endre Szemerédi, who was awarded the Nobel Prize of mathematicians, the Abel Prize, for his fundamental contribution to the world of science.