Opening towards the east and, in particular, strengthening relations with China is a strategic question, Péter Szijjártó, the State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations said in an interview on 21 November.

The politician said, after the current shift of generations in the Chinese elite, Chinese-Hungarian relations may receive further impetus. He stressed, a financial-strategic agreement has to be concluded as a supplement to the existing economic-operative agreement. He also added, Hungary would wish to become one of China’s most important European partners and we have already signed a number of cooperation agreements and declarations of intent with such an aim.

As he said, they are searching for projects, which can be financed from funds created by China; these are of both national and regional nature.

According to the State Secretary, we have been late to enter the race to forge alliances, because former governments performed in a particularly bad manner and they did not recognise that after the crisis nothing will be as it was before, and so new alliances should be built.

In the interview, with regard to the strategy of Eastern opening he said that one of its firmest pillars is constituted by cooperation with the Caucasus republics. He pointed out, the greatest progress has been reached with Azerbaijan, and serious consultations are under way in concrete fields. With Kazakhstan, talks are under way on support provided to small and medium-sized enterprises, while in Georgia the setting up of joint economic committees has begun.

(Prime Minister's Office)