The Government’s active industrial policy has been bearing fruits: according to the latest report of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH), in December 2013 the volume of Hungary’s industrial output increased by 6.8 percent compared to the corresponding period of 2012. Workday-adjusted data show growth of 4.4 percent. For the whole year, industrial output was up by 1.4 percent compared to 2012, driven mainly by the vehicle manufacturing sector.
The governments of Hungary and China have issued a joint statement in order to deepen bilateral cooperation. According to the document, which was issued at the end of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s official visit to Beijing, the two countries will endeavour to strengthen communication and cooperation, to promote joint development along the principles of mutual benefits and shared profits, and to contribute to building a harmonious world of lasting peace and prosperity.
On 13-14 February 2014 Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mr Tsvetlin Yovchev paid an official visit to Budapest at the invitation of Mr Sándor Pintér, Minister of Interior of Hungary.
In February 2010, the European Commission amended the entry concerning Slovakia in the registry of designations of origin and geographical indication (the E-Bacchus database) – without informing the Hungarian Government – in such a way that it changed the original "Tokajská/Tokajské/Tokajský vinohradnícka oblasť” indication to „Vinohradnícka oblasť Tokaj”.
A Hungarian wine has once again won the gold medal at the Biofach international organic product expo in Nuremberg, Germany. The award was won by Orvina Ltd's 2010 Tokaj Zeta. Hungary was represented at this year's expo by the Ministry of Rural Development's Deputy State Secretary for Social and International Relations Katalin Tóth. The expo covers an area of almost 90 thousand square metres, with 2500 exhibitors from 80 countries and tens of thousands of visitors.
On February 13, Deputy State Secretary Gergely Prőhle received Swiss Ambassador Jean-François Paroz, who briefed him about the referendum held in Switzerland on restricting the employment of foreigners.
China has picked Hungary as tourism hub for coordinating cooperation with Central and Eastern European countries. The Ministry for National Economy and the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aiming to foster Hungarian and Chinese tourism relations, through which process Hungary will gain more weight regarding tourism in the CEE region.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán addressed the season opening ceremony of the Hungarian Cultural Institute in Beijing, stressing that the Government regards cultural cooperation between Hungary and China as strategically significant.
China could play a crucial role in the modernisation of Central Europe's infrastructure, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in his lecture held at Beijing's Academy of Social Sciences.
Despite the fact that the majority of European Union member states voted against approving the genetically modified Pioneer 1507 maize strain on Tuesday, the proportion of votes against was not enough to ensure the blocking of the approval process, meaning it is now up to the European Commission to decide on the issue, Minister of State for EU Affairs Enikő Győri, who was present at the vote, told Hungarian reporters in Brussels following the meeting.