Mihály Varga has explained his views on Hungarian economic policy targets at hearings in the Parliament’s education and employment committees taking place yesterday and continuing today. The hearings took place prior to the Minister’s official appointment at the helm of the National Economy Ministry in a new post merging with his earlier position as chief negotiator with the IMF. The committees endorsed Varga’s nomination to replace György Matolcsy, who will be head of the central bank.
Brazil's Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Marcelo Crivella is on an official visit to Hungary at the invitation of Minister for Rural Development Sándor Fazekas. At their meeting today, the two Ministers discussed opportunities for bilateral relations in fish management, with special attention to the sharing of Hungary's wide experience and professional knowledge within the field of freshwater fish production.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has appointed State Secretary Péter Szijjártó as Governmental Commissioner for the development of Hungarian-Russian and Hungarian-Chinese economic relations.
Hungary's Foreign Minister János Martonyi, who is paying a two-day official visit to Romania, met his Romanian counterpart Titus Corlatean in Bucharest. The Ministers discussed differences regarding the recent Romanian ban of the Szekely flag on public buildings. They agreed cooperation should take the sensitivities of both sides and the rights of ethnic communities and European norms pertaining to national minorities into consideration.
On February 28, Minister of Defence Csaba Hende held talks in Beirut on the development of military relations between Lebanon and Hungary, and met the Hungarian soldiers deployed in the Middle Eastern country as well.
The Hungarian Defence Forces continue to support the stability of the Balkans region and to participate in the mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) told Hungarian News Agency MTI on Friday.
The Defence State Secretaries of the V4 countries discussed opportunities for defence cooperation at their two-day meeting in Gdansk, Poland.
Around 25 containers of military materiel will be transported back to Hungary with the withdrawal of the Hungarian Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) from Afghanistan – the Ministry of Defence informed Hungarian News Agency MTI in a press release on Sunday.
Nearly 30 EU-funded projects were presented nationwide during the open day organised by the National Development Agency (NFÜ). At the Liszt Academy of Music, Deputy State Secretary responsible for development programs Nándor Csepreghy said that the aim of the open day is to introduce the EU projects included in the New Széchenyi Plan that positively affect people's everyday lives to the public.
"The work of the international commission that develops analytical and food-sampling methods, set up fifty years ago, is of extreme importance to ensure that safe, high quality and healthy foods reach the tables of consumers all over the world", stated Minister for Rural Development Sándor Fazekas at the opening ceremony of the four-day conference of the Codex Alimentarius Commission's Select Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS) in Budapest. Over two hundred foreign and Hungarian food safety experts accepted the invitation of the organiser, the National Food Chain Safety Office (NFCSO), to attend the event.
The Government launched the most intensive series of anti-corruption measures of the post-change of regime period following its establishment, thereby emphasising its commitment to enhancing the trust of the people in the State and to reinforcing and guaranteeing the responsible management of national assets and public funds.
The measures of the Hungarian Government and the reasons behind them are understood considerably better in Germany now, while the two countries’ friendship remains remarkably strong, said the Deputy State Secretary for International Communications Ferenc Kumin following his meetings with journalists, politicians and researchers in Berlin.
In the current situation, it is especially important that Serbian authorities demonstrate impartiality and that they make it clear, double standards are not applied when it comes to dealing with Hungarian and Serbian perpetrators and victims, Foreign Minister János Martonyi stated February 28, 2013.
Europe and the United States will face lengthy and tough negotiations about a free trade agreement but will benefit from the zone if they manage to strike a compromise without violating each other's interests, Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi told public television on Friday morning.
Government Spokesperson András Giró-Szász declared at a joint press conference held with Minister of Interior Affairs Sándor Pintér that the local governments may begin a new life following the Government's debt consolidation program.
According to Foreign Minister János Martonyi, Russia is one of the strategically important key countries of Hungary's policy of opening towards the East and in shaping bilateral relations. The Government is consciously aiming to build cooperation that is mutually beneficial to both parties and based on pragmatic foundations.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced today that Minister György Matolcsy is the nominee for Central Bank governor to replace András Simor. The Ministry for National Economy will be headed by Minister without portfolio Mihály Varga, who was responsible for liaising with certain international financial organisations.
The Ministry of Rural Development and Hungarian tourist marketing organisation Magyar Turizmus (MT) Ltd. are to continue the cooperation they began in 2007. Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs Zoltán Illés and CEO of MT Ltd. Marianna Tóth Dené sealed the decision by signing a strategic agreement at Thursday's Travel exhibition. The goal of cooperation remains the promotion of sustainable ecotourism, and the further development of national parks.
Hungarian soldiers have recently completed their tours of duty in Kabul. They have all received NATO medals in recognition of their service.
The Ministry of Defence and the Hungarian Defence Forces again invite those interested in aviation, military technology and the cause of national defence to the 2013 International Air Show and the related military display to be held in Kecskemét on August 3-4.
Opening towards the Arab world is an important element of Hungarian foreign policy, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told his counterpart Najib Mikati in Beirut on Thursday. "There can be no stability in the region without a stable Lebanon", he added.
Following the "Transatlantic Dinner" hosted in Rome, Foreign Minister János Martonyi told the press that Secretary of State John Kerry had stressed his commitment to cooperating with Europe.
The pace of population decline moderated in 2012 compared to the previous year, as the number of births increased significantly last year.
HungaroControl Air Traffic Service Ltd's new Control Centre was inaugurated in Budapest on Wednesday, from which air traffic controls will work using Europe's most advanced air traffic control software.
The Hungarian government delegation attending the UN Forum aimed at promoting the dialogue between civilizations in Vienna on February 27 drew attention to the need to protect minorities – announced Szabolcs Takács, Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for Global Affairs.