Hungary has agreed on a five-point action plan with Belarus with a view to exploring the opportunities inherent in bilateral economic cooperation, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said, who held talks with his Belarusian counterpart and the Prime Minister of Belarus in Minsk.
Péter Szijjártó told MTI, the Hungarian News Agency on Wednesday by telephone that Belarus plays an important role in the resolution of the conflict in Ukraine, and has taken further decisive steps towards European integration. Cooperation with Belarus must therefore be intensified both politically and economically.
The Minister’s visit to Minsk is related to the European Union’s Eastern Partnership summit to be held in Riga on 22 May, which may have a major impact on the future of the programme. Mr Szijjártó pointed out that the Eastern Partnership, of which Belarus is also a member, is an important factor in the EU’s competitiveness. The Minister said that the EU will be able to regain its competitiveness if pragmatic and effective cooperation evolves between the eastern and western halves of the continent, and therefore Hungary firmly supports the launch of consultations between the EU and the Eurasian Economic Union, in which Minsk may play a key role. (The Eurasian Economic Union was established at the end of last May with the participation of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus.)
In answer to a question, Péter Szijjártó said that progress may be made in the case of Belarus in the fields of the acceleration and intensification of political and economic cooperation and visa liberalisation. The Minister takes the view that reaching an agreement of any kind regarding Minsk is unlikely at the upcoming Eastern Partnership summit as this would require the EU „to go to Riga with a substantially more ambitious plan ".
In the context of bilateral cooperation, the Minister stressed that trade between Hungary and Belarus increased by 12 per cent, to USD 280 million last year, and the goal is to increase these figures even further during the next few years. To this end, he agreed with his negotiating partners, Prime Minister Andrei Kobyakov and Foreign Minister Vladimir Makey on a five-point action plan. The first item of the plan is the conclusion of an investment protection agreement which serves to enhance the security of businesses. As a second measure, the Hungarian Eximbank and the Belarusian Development Bank jointly set up a credit facility of some USD 10 million which will be available until October and will serve to finance future cooperation between the companies of the two countries. The Hungarian Minister identified the pharmaceutical industry, the market of processed foods, communications technology and engineering services as the main areas of cooperation between businesses.
The third point of the action plan concerns the support which the Hungarian Government wishes to extend to the participation of Hungarian businesses in construction industry projects in Belarus. These are primarily sports projects, including the construction of a national stadium in Belarus. Two Hungarian companies have submitted bids for the latter, and a decision is expected to be made on the project at the end of May.
According to the fourth item of the action plan, Hungarian companies would also be ready to take part in agricultural projects in Belarus. Ten Hungarian businesses have already announced their attendance of the region’s largest agricultural fair, the Belagro, and the Hungarian Minister of Agriculture will also pay a visit to the Eastern-European country in June.
Péter Szijjártó reiterated in connection with the last, fifth item of the action plan that a Hungarian language department was set up at the Minsk State University, and as a „mirror image” of this, the parties agreed on the launch of a scholarship programme, as part of which 50 Belarusian students may begin their studies at Hungarian universities as of September. Hungarian students are also expected in Belarus; the precise number of the Hungarian contingent is yet to be decided, the Minister said.
During Mr Szijjártó’s talks in Minsk, the crisis in Ukraine was also mentioned. In this context, he agreed with his counterpart that each party to the conflict must observe the terms of the Minsk agreement. The Belarusian Foreign Minister stressed on this issue that the sanctions introduced against Russia and the negative Russian economic developments that arise therefrom have very serious negative implications for his country.
Péter Szijjártó will deliver a lecture regarding the economic challenges Europe is facing today at the Minsk State University during the course of the day.