A key element of the wellbeing of people is the efficient organization of public transport. The advantage which Hungary enjoys is that it has a dense transport network in a European comparison.
The sixth session of the Hungarian-Russian Intergovernmental Committee for Economic Cooperation was concluded by the signature of a protocol and a joint declaration of modernisation and partnership on 18 March 2011 in Moscow. The documents were signed by Hungarian Minister of National Development Tamás Fellegi and Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov. Cooperation opportunities in the field of energy, agriculture, finances and transport were discussed during the talks.
Because of the policy of the past eight years which had been based on overspending, high budget deficits and accumulating public debt, the financial crisis which erupted in autumn 2008 pushed the country into such a situation that we could avoid bankruptcy only by the help of international credits.
According to the analysis of the Ministry for National Economy, it is not in the interest of Hungary to join the Competitiveness Pact as Hungary is already taking all the necessary steps outlined in the EU’s structural pact. Furthermore, the Széll Kálmán Plan contains even more ambitious measures while sustaining the independence of the tax system.
On 16 March 2011, with a significant majority the Hungarian National Assembly Parliament adopted the draft act No. T/1941 and the related amending motions submitted by the Ministry of National Development. The act approved by the MPs, among others, transposes a significant part of the legislation of the so-called 3rd energy package of the European Union into Hungarian law.
It was the first time that the Education, Youth, Culture and Sports Council held a meeting in Brussels during the Hungarian EU Presidency. The meeting focused on the role of education in achieving the objectives set by the community for the period till 2020. Said meeting was presided over by Rózsa Hoffman, state secretary responsible for education of the Ministry of National Resources of Hungary.
On 15 February Dr. Miklós Szócska, state secretary responsible for health policy, held a meeting for the leading officers of health institutions and background institutions financed by the state. One of the focuses of the discussion was the issue of the announcement of jobs published in the Health Gazette last Friday.
On the occasion of the World Marriage Day, Miklós Soltész, state secretary responsible for social, family and youth affairs of the Ministry of National Resources, delivered, during a ceremony, the first commemorative plaquette “Together” to a young couple just married. The ceremonial event was also attended by Balázs Bús, mayor of Óbuda.
Géza Szőcs, state secretary responsible for culture, visited Berlin at the weekend, where he attended several meetings during the period of the film festival. On Sunday, 13 February, he carried on discussions with his German colleague, Bernd Neumann, federal minister of culture, on strengthening the Hungarian-German cultural relations, with special regard to movies and digitalization.
On 9 February 2011 the state secretary responsible for sports of the Ministry of National Resources informed civil organizations of the sports policy efforts of the Hungarian Presidency.