24 September 2013, Budapest

Mr. CEO, Madame Managing Director,

As we have heard, we have just finished a long discussion. The work of the Prime Minister is made up of many elements; I sometimes feel like a salesman, whose job it is to sell the country's reputation and opportunities. If the Prime Minister does a good job, then people buy into his ideas and then investments and development projects are realised and jobs are created. I have been working in this profession for many years now; I put a lot of energy into this kind of thing during my first term, and now again in my second. And today is a great success for the country and also for the Government. The announcement we are making now is unique in its own right. Not because Systemax is new to us - it is a well known company with an excellent reputation and has been preparing for a relationship with us practically since January, and has already taken the first steps - but because of what the Chief Executive Officer said, that over and above the known conditions that in Hungary the job market is flexible, wages are competitive and the workforce is highly trained, a company is in fact realising a large investment in Hungary because it has confidence in Hungary's youth. This is how I translate this investment into Hungarian. Here is an internationally listed, recognised company that represents a global success, and its decisive reason for investing in Hungary is that it wants to perform high added value activities here and it has confidence in Hungarian youth. This is also an important message to the young people of Hungary. I am not saying that we will be the land of milk and honey within a year or two, but I can certainly state that if we succeed in continuing everything that we began to implement three years ago, then we will be hearing more and more such announcements, that someone has come here from America and says he has examined the investment opportunities and with regard to the flexibility of the job market, the country's openness, its infrastructure and the commitment of its young people, their commitment to work, this is the place where I can make the best deal. That’s what this is all about, it's this simple. And it is a very important message for Hungary's youth of today that there will be a Hungary in which such stories are for the moment stories that are worthy of being announced by a Prime Minister, but I very much hope will after a while become everyday occurrences. Gentlemen, what we are talking about is the fact that a company is establishing a service centre in Hungary and providing work for 505 well-trained Hungarian professionals. The competition was tough, as we have heard, and the decisive factor was the commitment to work and level of expertise of young Hungarians. I would like to tell you that we are welcoming a company to Hungary here today that has established centres in the greatest European countries, because they are present in the United Kingdom, they are there in Holland, Germany and France, to mention just a few. And they are now establishing a Central European bastion here, and out of all the destinations they have chosen us, Hungary.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

To think back on the fact that in 2010 the situation was that apart from the crisis in Greece, the most pressing issue of the European economic crisis was whether Hungary would stay afloat. And now we are one of only five countries in Europe that is capable of continuously reducing government debt and our budget deficit is below three percent, meaning our finances are in order; Hungarian bonds are sought after on the financial markets while American companies arrive in Hungary saying it is here that they have found the future for their own companies; it is clear just what a long way we have come. I would like to underline the two words that I heard most often during today's meeting: openness and flexibility. The Hungarian economy must remain open and flexible if it wishes to attract companies that will increase the Hungarian GDP with products and services that it creates here and markets abroad. And so I feel that the Hungarian economy still has a long way to go before we can be satisfied, but the signs, such as Systemax's investment in Hungary, are positive signs that we must appreciate. If they have confidence in our youth, in our own children, then it is time that we Hungarians also trusted in the young people of Hungary. This encourages us to put in even more effort and restructure the education system so that in 15-20 years companies arriving from America or other places still feel that the young people of Hungary represent a decisive factor when they choose a destination for their investment, and that this is a criteria that primarily points to Budapest and Hungary.

I would like to thank Mr. Dale for the openness and willingness to cooperate that he has shown during the course of out meeting; they were good negotiations and I wish Systemax much success. I hope that business will go well, revenues will be excellent, and so we Hungarians will also profit.

(Prime Minister’s Office)