Deputy State Secretary for Hungary’s foreign trade policy of Opening to the South Szilveszter Bus was on an official visit to Malaysia on 5-7 December, where he held talks with officials from the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Trade and Industry and gave opening speeched at the Hungary Fair 2016 trade fair and expo organised by the Hungarian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur to showcase the premium quality products of Hungarian enterprises, and at the opening ceremony of Hungarian Gastronomy Weeks.
During his official meetings, Mr. Bus declared: “It was the right decision to restore Hungary’s permanent diplomatic presence in the region’s second most developed country, in 2015. Our countries’ size and resources make us natural partners within the fields of politics, the economy, education and science alike, and the effective activities of the re-opened Embassy are vital to the full exploitation of the resulting opportunities”.
He called for the earliest possible finalization of the bilateral agreements currently under negotiation and for their conclusion during the course of the high-level visits planned for 2017. With regard to economic cooperation, the Deputy State Secretary primarily highlighted the application of innovative Hungarian technologies, the export of milk industry products, IT and telecommunications, and projects relating to water management and green energy as promising fields of cooperation.
The Hungarian politician’s Malaysian negotiating partners agreed with the Hungarian assessment of the situation and stressed that they view Hungary as an important Central European partner and are committed to raising bilateral relations to a higher level. In addition to business cooperation, reinforcing human relations and tighter cooperation within the fields of education, science and tourism could also play a prominent role in this. They also praised Hungary’s economic performance and consistent stance on European issues.
In his opening speeches at the large-scale promotional events organised by the Hungarian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Mr. Bus highlighted: “We are glad to see that many Hungarian enterprises are showcasing their products at such events, and this indicates the extreme speed with which interest in the Southeast Asian region is developing”.
“The premium products being showcased are worthy representatives of Hungary and significantly contribute to the development of a positive image of the country while rightly expecting success on the Malaysian market, to which end the administration and foreign representation are prepared to provide all possible assistance. Hungarian Gastronomy Weeks, which presents Hungary’s culinary traditions, also increases our country’s visibility and brings the two countries close together, as well as contributing to the development of tourism and business relations”, the Deputy State Secretary said.