The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has recently published a note on asylum seekers who entered Hungary through Serbia, subsequently left Hungary after having applied for asylum there and afterwards were sent back to Hungary from another EU Member State via the so-called “Dublin procedure”.
At the weekend the European Skills Competition for young skilled workers was held in Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium (EuroSkills 2012). At the event organized by the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MKIK) the Hungarian team has achieved its best ever result by winning 5 gold, 1 silver and 5 bronze medals. This excellent performance placed Hungary as the fifth most successful among the 24 participating countries.
Hungary congratulates the Georgian people for the parliamentary elections on 1 October 2012, which is widely considered as free and fair and despite minor irregularities reflects the will of the Georgian voters. Hungary commends the high level of participation, the professional and transparent administration and the peaceful transition of Government. These elections manifested Georgia’s commitment to the country’s democratic development and set an example for other countries in the region and in the wider Eastern European area.
Minister of State Zoltán Cséfalvay of the Ministry for National Economy identified financial stability as a precondition of growth on Thursday at a conference on the European situation held in Brussels which was organized by Friends of Europe, an independent think tank.
On Friday 5 October 2012 the Government of Hungary published its latest package of draft measures, formerly introduced measures as well as the updated macro economic outlook which takes into consideration the aforementioned measures and a different economic growth prospect in its Progress Report in order to fulfill recommendations proposed by the EU Economic and Financial Affairs Council. Markets welcomed the Report which was reflected in prompt forint appreciation and a lower Hungarian CDS spread. After the announcement at 9am the forint exchange rate gained almost 1 percent against the euro thereby outperforming regional currencies.
Hungary welcomes that the Enlargement package, presented by the European Commission on 10 October confirmed progress in almost all countries aspiring to join the European Union.
Next year the number of Hungarian troops serving in Afghanistan will be reduced significantly, Hungarian Minister of Defence Csaba Hende told journalists on Wednesday, October 10 in Brussels after the NATO Defence Ministers reviewed the process of transition in Afghanistan at their meeting.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met with CEO of Gazprom Alekszej Miller and discussed current projects in the energy sector with special regard to the South Stream gas corridor.
Minister of Rural Development Sándor Fazekas met with his Russian colleague Nyikolaj Fjodorov and discussed the options for further developing relations between the two countries. In 2011 Hungary’s food export to the Russian Federation reached 256 million forints, 16% higher than in the previous year, while exports further augmented by 6% during the first seven months of 2012, compared to the same period of 2011.
The Ministry of Interior’s Deputy State Secretariat for Public Employment organizes a series of events titled “About public employment to local government leaders” for leaders responsible for public employment and for administrators dealing with public employment at labour-centre branch offices. The opening of the series was on 10 October, in the Ministry of Interior in Budapest with the participation of officials of Pest and Nógrád counties.
The government discussed the situation of MOL, and considers the issues related to the company as high priorities. These are significant questions connected to industrial and economic policy, since MOL is one of the largest company of Central Europe.
Hungary, represented by Minister of Human Resources Zoltán Balog, was an honorary guest at this year’s Leipzig Lichtfest (Festival of Light), which focused on the country’s key contribution to the political changes of 1989 and the peaceful revolution in Eastern Germany.
The Hungarian Minister of Defence Csaba Hende took part on the two-day NATO Defence Ministers Meeting in Brussels, where he also held a bilateral meeting with NATO’s Secretary General.
Hungary has one of the best quality soils in Europe, without considerable contamination and accompanied by a well-balanced climate, the Prime Minister stated.
Parliament adopted the new law on waste management with overwhelming majority. Through this a modern legal background was created, establishing transparent and verifiable legal background to enhance the amount of waste recovery and expand the responsibility of manufacturers in using low-waste technologies in production. The law shall enter into force 1 January 2013.
The participants reinforced their commitment to the Nabucco West project by signing a ministerial statement during a consultation of the Nabucco Commission on 8 October 2012 in Vienna. Head of the Hungarian delegation Pál Kovács, Minister of State for Climate Change and Energy welcomed this definite step towards Europe’s energy independence.
In the month of September 2012 the central sub sector of the state budget registered a surplus of 13.7bn HUF. In comparison, in September 2011 the central sub sector of the state budget registered a deficit of 26 bn HUF.
Zoltán Balog, Minister of Human Resources visits Germany between 9-11 October.
Péter Kovács, Deputy State Secretary for Water Management has informed the Special Rapporteur of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights about the details of the red sludge catastrophe of 2010, the rescue operations, the damage control and the legal modifications adopted since then.
Following a meeting with Canada’s Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney, Minister of Human Resources Zoltán Balog stated that no mass return of the Roma is to be expected from Canada. He added that thanks to Canada tightening its immigration policy it is not worth abusing the country’s refugee system for financial gain anymore.
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Public Administration and Justice Tibor Navracsics shared his belief that the conference, as part of which Polish and Hungarian lecturers discussed the Hungarian reforms in Lódz, attracted a great deal of positive interest.
The training of public service workers would not end upon the completion of their formal studies; in harmony with the Public Administration Development Programme, the Government would lay greater emphasis on the training of those working in public administration.
At the opening of the Hungarian Diaspora Council (MDT) in Parliament today, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán expressed his optimism about Hungary’s ability to continue its efforts to reduce state debt and increase its competitiveness while retaining political stability in the next two years.
Hungary’s place was in NATO, in the Trans-Atlantic family, said Foreign Minister János Martonyi. He added that „though the world keeps changing, our values remain the same, and NATO is essentially a community of values.”
Development worth around three billion forints is currently under way in local public administration. State administration, government offices and customer service points are preparing for further changes and developments.
The Minister of Human Resources and state secretaries participated in the Budapest Marathon relay race. Every member of the group completed the run partnering a runner living with disabilities (people with impaired vision or physical disabilities). The number of participants was 19,200, compared to the previous record of 17,700.
An informal meeting of education ministers from the European Union took place on 4-5 October in Nicosia. At the meeting, Hungary was represented by Rózsa Hoffmann, Minister of State for Education and Zoltán Gloviczki, Deputy State Secretary for Compulsory Education.
An exhibition presenting the works of Roma artists was inaugurated by Deputy State Secretary for Social Inclusion Katalin Langerné Victor at Szabadság square. The artists aim to present Roma culture and everyday life through photos and paintings.
State Secretary for the Prime Minister’s Office János Lázár delivered a speech at the opening of the 59th Vásárhely Autumn Exhibition, highlighting the Government’s commitment to a number of cultural initiatives.
A delegation headed by Telecommunications and IT Minister Sachin Pilot represented India at the international Cyber Space Conference in Budapest, October 4-5, 2012. Foreign Minister János Martonyi had bilateral discussions with the Indian Minister at the event on October 5.