The training program for the sixth rotation of the HDF KFOR (Kosovo Force) contingent (KFOR-6 HUNCON) is nearing completion. The training battalion has been rehearsing for the last and most important test in Hungary, the culmination exercise (CULEX).
On November 29 Dr. András Patyi, the incoming rector of the National Public Service University which is to start operating as of January 1, 2012 received his letter of appointment in a ceremony from the President of the Republic in Sándor Palace, Budapest.
Hungarian children weren't the only ones to receive a present on the feast of St. Michael this year; the Museum of Agriculture received a gift too. The "Pálinka Cabinet" was augmented with a new treasure today; the country's best pálinka, produced by the Agárdi Pálinka Distillery and winner if this year's competition, was placed in the collection by Sándor Fazekas, Minister for Rural Development. The plum pálinka won first prize at the 19th Hungarian National Pálinka, Fruit and Wine Distillate International Competition.
The Hungarian Government welcomes the fact that, after consultations between the representatives of the Serbian Government and those of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians and in accordance with their agreement, the Serbian National Assembly on the 5th of December has adopted the Act on Rehabilitation.
Imre Hubai, a bio-farmer, has found a novel and environmentally friendly way to deal with voles, whose populations have recently increased and cause damage to crops. The plant protection specialist from Karcag has installed wooden perches for use by birds of prey, making hunting easier for them. Thanks to the method, 90% of the new generation of voles perish within 2-3 weeks, and the relatively small numbers of remaining rodents no longer cause significant economic damage.
At a press conference on 5 December 2011, Minister for National Development Tamás Fellegi presented a White Paper that sums up the reasons leading to the current situation of Malév. The minister mentioned the operation of a national airline centred in Budapest and ensuring efficient enforcement of the national economic interests as a priority objective of the government. The Ministry of National Development compiled the White Paper to give a detailed presentation of the reasons leading to Malév’s current difficult situation, name the responsible persons and come closer to the solution by revealing the facts.
On Friday and with immediate effect, Minister for Rural Development Sándor Fazekas ordered stricter monitoring at companies that export live cattle.
"The most important statement made by the International Energy Agency is that over the long term, every government in the world must handle emission cut as a primary objective", Deputy State Secretary for Energy Pál Kovács made it clear at the International Energy Agency's presentation of the World Energy Outlook 2011 publication on 2 December 2011 in Budapest.
Hungary has made commitments to join the shared military capability development projects of EU member states in several “pooling and sharing” areas such as the Helicopter Training Program (HTP), field hospitals, flying training for aircraft pilots and European transport hubs – Defence Minister Dr. Csaba Hende said on November 30 in Brussels.
“The cyberspace has opened up a new domain of warfare!” said Defence Minister Dr. Csaba Hende during a conference held in the Árpád room of the County Hall in Debrecen under the title “Hungary in a Constantly Renewing NATO” by the Hungarian Atlantic Council on Thursday, November 24. The event was preceded by the opening of the exhibition entitled “From the Hungarian People’s Army to NATO membership”.
It is in the definite interests of Hungary that the current system of agricultural support remain in place after 2014, and that agriculture should occupy a central position in the politics of the European Union – stressed the participants of the conference held on Tuesday in Budapest entitled the Future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2013.
Deputy State Secretary for Food Chain Control Supervision and Agricultural Administration Lajos Bognár has reported on the activities and future plans of the food chain supervisory authority before the Subcommittee of the Hungarian Parliament's Consumer Protection Committee.
The leaders of several of Europe's Chambers of Agriculture are exchanging views on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy between 2014 and 2020 at the Visegrád Group (V4) nations' chamber of agriculture summit in Budapest.
On Wednesday, November 23 Defence Minister Dr. Csaba Hende received in his office Munsi Abdul Majeed, the governor of Baghlan Province and Moh. Rasul Mohsene (Rasul Khan), the Shura leader of Baghlan Province. Also present at the meeting were Lt.-Gen. Zoltán Orosz, the Deputy Chief of the MoD Defence Staff and MoD Deputy State Secretary for Defence Policy and Planning Péter Siklósi.
The European Parliament's Petitions Committee examined the circumstances concerning the planned opening of the gold mine at Verespatak during its extraordinary session in Bucharest today. Several petitions have been recently lodged with the EP's expert committee in connection with the project.
A decision was brought this morning at the 10th conference of the member nations of the international Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) in Bergen, Norway, to introduce stricter protection for the ancient symbolic bird of Hungary, the Saker Falcon, known by many in Hungary as the mythical Turul bird.
Strasbourg-based Council of Europe which compromises 47 countries organized meeting on 23d November 2011 on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the signature of the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention). Károly Kontrát, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Interior held the opening speech at the event.
Deputy State Secretary for Global Affairs János Hóvári participated in the international conference „8th Forum for the Future” in Kuwait City on 21-22 November 2011. On the sidelines of the event, János Hóvári also held talks with Khalid Suleiman Al-Jarallah, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait on the Hungarian-Kuwaiti relations.
Tamás Fellegi, Minister for National Development conducted bilateral talks with Reinhold Mitterlehner, Federal Minister of Economy, Family and Youth and Doris Bures, Minister of Transport, Innovation and Technology of Austria on 21 November 2011 in Vienna. During the official visit, the parties reviewed the current issues of relations in the field of energy and transport.
The international scientific conference on fatty pigs, including the Hungarian Mangalica, which was organised in Hereceghalom by the Ministry of Ural Development's background institute, the Research Institute for Animal Breeding and Nutrition (ÁTK), has closed successfully.
On Tuesday, November 15 the military attachés accredited to Budapest visited the HDF Geoinformation Service (HDF GEOS).
The Deputy Prime Minister's speech in the Hungarian parliament on Saturday, the closing day of the World Science Forum.
A declaration on a coordinated, effective anti-corruption state action plan has been signed by Deputy Prime Minister for Public Administration and Justice Tibor Navracsics, President of the Hungarian State Audit Office László Domokos, President of the Supreme Court András Baka and Chief Prosecutor Péter Polt.
The new bill on nationalities in Hungary has been submitted to Parliament. A wider range of rights to use one’s mother tongue, and to culture and education; less opportunity for abuses in the name of nationality rights; strong legitimacy and genuine presence within communities: these are guaranteed by the legislative proposal on nationalities, submitted to Parliament by Tibor Navracsics, Minister of Public Administration and Justice.
The strong air pollution of the past few days has once again brought attention to the inter-sectoral programme of measures designed to decrease the quantity of particulate matter (PM10) in the air. The basic goal of the legislation, which was passed in October, is to decrease fine particle emissions, and achieve a drop in dust concentrations of 15-20%.