Hungary's new economic model is very closely related to the German one, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said at the signing ceremony of the government's Strategic Partnership Agreement with Daimler AG.

Hungary is building a labour-based economy and expects industrial production to remain the backbone of the national economy, the Prime Minister said. Industrial production centres need to be established in order to improve the country’s competitiveness.

The German manufacturing industry plays an important role in Hungary’s modernisation and the Prime Minister considers its long-term presence the cohesive force of the future and the “cement” of bilateral relations.
He also noted that Daimler, which owns the Mercedes factory in central Hungary's Kecskemét, has a “much broader industrial spectrum” than manufacturing cars and the government is seeking to launch cooperation with its other branches too, he said.

This is the fourth Strategic Partnership Agreement the Government has concluded with large companies over the past few months. A similar agreement was previously signed with Coca Cola Hungary, pharmaceutical company Gedeon Richter and aluminium manufacturer Alcoa-Köfém.

Martin Jäger, Daimler's Head of Global External Affairs and Public Policy, said the government and the city of Kecskemét have always supported his company effectively.

The factory in Kecskemét opened in late March is one of the largest greenfield investment projects ever realised in Hungary and is the first Daimler-Benz plant in Eastern Europe.

(Prime Minister’s Office, MTI)