In the 21st Century, the security of nations depends on who controls the resources. Genetic stock is one of the determinative national resources that the Hungarian nation has developed and selected over hundreds of years – stated Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development József Ángyán at the conference on genetic resources organised at the Szent István University in Gödöllő.
The Military Cemetery of the British Commonwealth of Nations was the venue of Remembrance Sunday on November 13. At the Cross standing in the middle of the dead heroes’ graveyard, besides the diplomatic representatives and military attachés of the Commonwealth countries and other nations, also Minister of Defence Dr. Csaba Hende laid the wreath of remembrance.
“For long decades the Castle Bazaar was the ornament of the Castle District along the River Danube. Today it is merely an ugly blot on the historical cityscape”, said the minister’s commissioner Ferenc Zumbok on 15 November 2011 in the Buda Castle mentioning the restoration work of the Castle Bazaar and the Castle District.
The Hungarian economy has been based on new fundamentals in the past one and a half years. To this end, we had to cancel each old-type forms of cooperation which were obstacles to our economic independence. This we have managed to carry out and achieved that the Hungarian economy receives market financing and it does not depend on the goodwill of others. Thus, the age of renewal has ended and the age of growth has begun; for this we need to utilize every instrument at our disposal.
Speech by Viktor Orbán at the London School of Economics.
“I trust that our cooperation contributes to the decrease of illegal migrants from South-Balkan” – emphasized Interior Minister Sándor Pintér on the doorstep press conference after a negotiation with Constantin-Traian Igas Romanian Minister of Interior and Administration.
In summary of his visit to China, Minister of National Development, Tamás Fellegi, who also acts as Government Commissioner for Hungarian-Chinese Bilateral Relations declared that since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have been experiencing the most intensive period in their cooperation. Further agreements are expected to be signed in the near future about the utilisation of the EUR 1 billion development limit granted for projects in Hungary. The first specific project to be implemented may be the urban rapid transit system connecting Budapest with the Liszt Ferenc Airport.
There is an aviation history event going on in Hungary’s airspace: this is the first time that Gripen fighters with Swedish and Hungarian markings are engaging in “air combat” against each other. The idea of the joint training flight originated with the Swedish partners, and the participants of the Exercise Satenas Exchange 2011 had some special badges made with the words GRIPEN MAFIA 2011 on them.
Hungary -- with full support to the Statement by the spokesperson of EU High Representative Catherine Ashton on the elections in the breakaway region of South Ossetia in Georgia of 14 November 2011 -- does not recognise the constitutional and legal framework within which those elections were held.
On the Salzburg Forum Ministerial Conference Hungary recommended that Salzburg Forum States should not only cooperate in the rapid implementation of the EU Directive on facilitating the cross-border exchange of information on traffic offences which has recently entered into force and had been negotiated under the Hungarian EU Presidency but should also promote the implementation of decisions finding infringement and imposing fines.
The GDP of the agriculture sector grew by 9.8% last year. This year's favourable conditions mean that a significantly greater increase is expected.
There is a good chance that Hungary, which is free of BSE, will be the first to export beef to the Chinese market – stressed Endre Kardeván following a series of discussions in China. Hungary is free of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly known as mad-cow disease, and so China will soon give the go-ahead for the import of Hungarian beef.
Within the European Union, Hungary has proposed that the sugar quota system, which according to current plans may be terminated in 2015, be extended until at least 2020 – announced State Secretary for Agricultural Economy and leader of the Hungarian delegation György Czerván in Brussels following the Monday meeting of EU Agricultural Ministers.
Sándor Fazekas held discussions in Washington with the Chairman and CEO of the federal Farm Credit Administration on federal-based agricultural loans, then with the leaders of the two largest American farmers' organisations on the role of representative bodies and the more important elements of the planned Farm Bill.
On November 8 the Hungarian Parliament opened a general debate on the proposed amendment to the Act on establishing a new organization for the military national security services. In his keynote speech Defence Minister Dr. Csaba Hende said “During the last 20 years, time after time the opportunity emerged to integrate the two military secret services, the Military Security Office and the Military Intelligence Office. Now we have the will and opportunity to implement the integration.”
After wide-ranging professional and public consultation on 9 November the public consultation process on the National Inclusion and Roma Strategy came to an end, and so it can soon be presented to Government – Zoltán Balog, Minister of State for Social Inclusion, announced at a regional seminar entitled ‘The long path of the National Roma Integration Strategies’ organised by the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice.
The Government made a decision on implementation of another of the points in the Széll Kálmán plan: bankruptcy proceedings and rules on winding up proceedings will be simplified, and as a result burdens on Hungarian businesses will be reduced, and the economic environment will be purged of inactive, inoperable companies.
The Government resolved to achieve the following aims with regard to home repossessions and auction procedures: reduction of court costs and burdens; introduction of e-administration and e-auctions for real estate; the closing of loopholes which lead to abuses in public auctions. Related legislative proposals will be put to parliament in the near future.
Minister for Foreign Affairs János Martonyi will attend the EU Foreign Affairs Council Meeting of Development Ministers to be held in Brussels on 14 November. The main issues on the agenda are future of the EU’s development policy, budget support, the EU common position for the Fourth High level Forum on Aid Effectiveness and the Horn of Africa.
Raoul Wallenberg, honorary citizen of Budapest, rescuer of ten thousands of Hungarian citizens would be one hundred years old in 2012. At its session on 2 November 2011 the Government has taken a decision according to which, on the occasion of the centennial, Hungary shall duly commemorate the rescuer Swedish diplomat in the context of the Raoul Wallenberg Year. On this occasion we shall recall this tragic period of the past in Hungary and at our foreign representations, and we shall also commemorate the deeds of other rescuers besides Wallenberg.
During his official visit to Vittoria, Sicily between November 1-4, MoD Parliamentary State Secretary Dr. István Simicskó attended a memorial service and Holy Mass celebrated in commemoration of the Hungarian troops who died in World War I.
The Hungarian State Holding Company (Magyar Nemzeti Vagyonkezelő Zrt., MNV) will make an offer for the purchase of Rába Holding Nyrt.'s shares. The Government, which took up office last year, has closed the period of mass privatisation and has committed to manage the national property in a responsible way to increase it. In accordance with long-term strategic objectives and economy boosting concepts, it wishes to strengthen government participation in vehicle manufacturing.
The United States of America may acknowledge that Hungary is free of Swine Fever by summer 2012, which in turn may boost Hungarian agricultural exports to across the Atlantic – Minister for Rural Development Sándor Fazekas told the Hungarian news agency MTI in Washington, following talks with leaders of the American Department of Agriculture on Wednesday.
Tamás Iván Kovács, Deputy State Secretary for European Union and International Affairs of the Hungarian Ministry of National Development and Előd Both, head of the Hungarian Space Office represented Hungary at the 3rd European Space Research Conference in Lucca, Italy on 10 November 2011.
Minister Tamás Fellegi, Government Commissioner for the Coordination of Hungarian-Chinese Bilateral Relations conducts high-level negotiations with Chinese government and bank executives, businesspersons and investors in China between 9-17 November 2011.