State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations Péter Szijjártó met Greek Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dimitris Kourkoulas in Budapest today to hold talks on economic cooperation.
On behalf of the Hungarian Government, Minister of State Enikő Győri attended the High-Level International Conference on Water Cooperation held in The Hague on 22nd March 2013, where the invited speakers – among others heads of state and government and leaders of specialized UN institutions– discussed water cooperation and the post-2015 development policy agenda.
Minister of Human Resources Zoltán Balog visited the Pista Dankó Kindergarten, Crèche, Elementary School, Vocational School, Secondary School and Dormitory in Biri, Eastern Hungary. The disadvantaged status of the region causes many problems, and therefore such an institution, which provides education from a young age all the way through to secondary school is essential.
Hungary is committed to supporting the European aspirations of the Western Balkan countries, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations Péter Szijjártó emphasised following a meeting with Fatos Beja, Chairman of the Albanian Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Policy.
Hungarian mountaineers Zsolt Erőss, Lajos Kollár, Péter Kiss and Slovak national Jaroslav Dudka, as part of the ‘Hungarians on peaks over 8000 metres’ initiative, plan to climb the world’s third highest peak, the Kanchenjunga.
On visiting the Budapest centre of the National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV), Minister for National Economy Mihály Varga said at a press conference that the general taxation overhaul has been finalized and now it was time for fine-tuning.
Minister for Human Resources Zoltán Balog met with Minister for Culture Nicola Beer, also responsible for education in Germany’s State of Hessen.
In future the appointment of the President of the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH) will be the responsibility of the President and not the Prime Minister, who will only have the power to nominate a candidate for the post. Amendments to the Media Act adopted by Parliament on Monday also stipulate that the President of the Media Authority and members of the Media Council may not be re-appointed after the expiry of their nine-year mandates.
The Hungarian Parliament adopted the act ratifying the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union on Monday. The Government proposal was also supported by the MPs of the left-wing opposition: the Democratic Coalition and the Socialist Party. Representatives of Jobbik voted against the motion, wile some independent MPs abstained.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán inaugurated the new Budapest Music Center in Budapest on Saturday night. The Center includes several studios, an auditorium, music library, information centre, study room, jazz club and restaurant.
By authorisation granted by the Government, on 22 March 2013, Minister of National Development Zsuzsa Németh, the Hungarian Association for the Stockpiling of Hydrocarbons (MSZKSZ) and the representatives of MOL Hungarian Oil and Gas Company Plc. signed a letter of intent to launch negotiations on the transfer of the title of MMBF Zrt., which operates the Szőreg-1 natural gas safety reserve storage facility in Algyő.
The foreign ministers of the European Union all agree that efforts must be continued to seek a political solution to the Syrian conflict because that is the only way to end the current "bloodshed", Hungarian Foreign Minister János Martonyi declared following the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Dublin on March 23.
"It is hoped that Hungary may be the guest of honour at the 2014 Biofach international trade fair in Nuremberg", said the Ministry of Rural Development's Deputy State Secretary Katalin Tóth at an agriculture conference.
In a phone call Mihály Varga congratulated Mihály Patai for being nominated for the post of Hungarian Banking Association President.
A single final solution to the problems of Hungary’s foreign currency debtors would be amazing, but it became clear in the past two years that no such solution exists, Economy Minister Mihály Varga told Portfolio.hu in an interview. The remedy will likely consist of several stages and only the existing means should be applied to assist distressed FX borrowers, he added. Varga said local energy service providers survived the 10% reduction to retail energy tariffs, adding he hoped the cabinet did successfully lower their profits because they had ample reserves in this field.
Irish driver ready to serve prison term, says Deputy Prime Minister
Regarding the critics of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán declared that the Government listens to everyone, but will not give up Hungarian national sovereignty.
State debt has decreased compared to both 2010 and 2012 figures, said Government Spokesperson András Giró-Szász in response to comments from the Socialist Party, that public debt had become “unprecedentedly” high.
Herend porcelain, which is one of Hungary's acknowledged symbols which it is a value and a privilege to own, as well as pálinka and grape marc pálinka, which are already regarded as the nation's unique specialities, are from today officially Hungaricums - announced Minister for Rural Development Sándor Fazekas following the meeting of the Hungaricum Committee in Herend.
State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations Péter Szijjártó and Head of the Kuwaiti Investment Office Osama Al-Ayoub held talks in Budapest on Kuwaiti investment opportunities in Hungary.
Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Gergely Prőhle informed his German partners about the amendment of the Hungarian Fundamental Law in Berlin, on March 19, 2013.The Hungarian Deputy State Secretary arrived in the German capital at the invitation of the junior member of the German government coalition, the liberal FDP party.
Members of the eurozone are of the opinion that the ball is now in the court of Cyprus; now that the country has been offered assistance, it is time for them to do something, it cannot wait for the EU to resolve its problems - Minister of State of the MFA responsible for European Union Affairs Enikő Győri said on March 20 in Helsinki.
Yesterday, at the request of Minister of Human Resources Zoltán Balog, Ferenc Szaniszló returned the Mihály Táncsics Prize.
On Wednesday, Foreign Minister János Martonyi held talks with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov, who is on a working visit to Hungary.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán declared at the Puskás Suzuki Cup, the international football recruitment tournament, that the future of every country is shaped by its youth, and that this reinforces the importance of the Government regarding sports as a priority.