Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Budapest today, where during the course of his meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, the two heads of state reinforced the strong partnership between the two countries. Later today, both heads of government held speeches at a Hungarian-Turkish business forum, organised to coincide with Prime Minister Erdoğan's visit.
At the press conference following their meeting, Viktor Orbán declared that Hungary acknowledges Turkey's economic performance, which is the result of self-confidence, cooperation and the right political programmes. The Prime Minister also stressed that Turkey was able to achieve this economic success during one of the most difficult phases of the global economic crisis. This is a great encouragement to Hungary. In addition, he called the Turkish head of state one of the greatest political leaders of the decade, who has implemented extreme reforms with unparalleled success.
Mr. Orbán announced that he had accepted the Turkish Prime Minister's suggestion regarding the establishment of a high-level strategic council to facilitate permanent relations between the two countries, and had also accepted Mr. Erdoğan's proposal with relation to the setting up of an energy workgroup.
The parties also set as a goal the doubling of trade between Hungary and Turkey to USD 5 billion by 2015. Mr. Orbán acknowledged that this may be an ambitious target, in the interests of which “we shall remove all obstacles to trade relations”. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan noted that the recent arrival of 125 Turkish businessmen in Hungary also served to intensify cooperation.
Mr. Erdoğan indicated that Hungary supports Turkey's efforts to join the European Union, for which the Turkish Prime Minister thanked Hungary in the name of his people. Last October, Prime Minister Orbán also received the Speaker of Turkey's Parliament, Cemil Çiçek, who also thanked Hungary for consistently supporting Turkey's goal of EU accession.
Prime Minister Erdoğan said that energy issues were priority areas of economic cooperation. The two countries are partners in the realisation of the Nabucco gas pipeline, he explained. Turkey is a transit country, he said, and is ready to provide any assistance necessary. The two heads of state would also be taking important measures to reinforce cooperation between the two countries with relation to the utilisation of nuclear energy, Mr. Erdoğan said.
With relation to increasing tourism, Mr. Orbán set as a goal that Hungarian citizens should be able to visit Turkey, their second most popular tourist destination, without the need for a visa.
The parties also view the promotion of cultural relations as important. Turkey will soon be opening a Turkish Cultural Institute in Budapest, and Prime Minister Orbán indicated that Hungary was planning to establish a similar institution in Turkey.
Mr. Orbán also stated that Turkey would like Turkish cultural monuments and artifacts in Hungary to be renovated and suitably preserved. The Prime Minister promised his Turkish counterpart that all such issues would be quickly resolved. Accordingly, President and CEO of the Hungarian Development Bank László Baranyay and President of the Turkish Development Agency Serdar Çam signed a letter of intent regarding the preservation of Turkish cultural heritage in Hungary.
Prime Minister Erdoğan and Viktor Orbán will be holding presentations at the Hungarian-Turkish business forum, after which Hungarian President János Áder will receive the Turkish Prime Minister at his Sándor Palace. Later, Mr. Erdoğan will hold a lecture on Turkish foreign policy at the Loránd Eötvös University.
Earlier this year, a session of the Hungarian-Turkish joint economic committee was held in Budapest, which focused on cooperation between the two countries within the fields of energy, industry and healthcare. The meeting was attended by State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations Péter Szijjártó and Turkish Minister of Health Mehmet Müezzinoğlu, who highlighted a number of fields of cooperation and envisaged thriving economic cooperation. The main commitments of the meeting were reinforced today.
(Prime Minister’s Office)
