The countries of the Visegrád Group have contributed a total of three million euros to the fund established by the European Union to deal with the causes of African migration, and are jointly participating in the fund’s work. In Prague on 6 April 2016, foreign ministry representatives from Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic signed a related memorandum of cooperation.
A delegation from the Council of American Ambassadors, the association of non-career United States ambassadors, was received in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on 6 April by Deputy Minister László Szabó and Deputy State Secretary for Security Policy Levente Benkő. During their meetings, the parties discussed the status of American-Hungarian economic cooperation as well as current security policy issues.
On Thursday Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met Nicolas Sarkozy, former President of France and leader of the centre-right party Les Républicains. At their meeting the two politicians discussed European issues.
Thanks to Hungarian reforms and a prudent fiscal policy, the accumulated deficit of the central sub sector of the state budget was HUF 125.8bn at the end of March 2016. In the same period one year ago, the deficit was much higher, at HUF 536.7bn. The difference between the balance at the end of March 2016 and 2015 was the consequence of higher tax revenues and lower expenditures this year.
Hungary will not let any institution in Brussels or any EU Member State block Serbia’s European integration. Belgrade deserves EU membership, and the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, which forms part of the Serbian government coalition, too, plays a significant role in this, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó stressed on Tuesday in Szabadka after he had a meeting with István Pásztor, President of the Alliance.
On Tuesday Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó attended an election event of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in Pančevo, western Banat. At the event he stressed that in recent years Serbia’s government has achieved economic successes which are acknowledged Europe-wide. With its governmental achievements Serbia has gained a strong and respected position for itself, he said, adding that this is precisely in the interests of Hungary and of Hungarians living in Serbia.
The Prime Minister’s Press Chief Bertalan Havasi has informed kormany.hu that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has travelled to Paris, where on Thursday he will hold talks with Secretary-General of the OECD Angel Gurría. During his visit the Prime Minister will also hold informal meetings with a number of important figures in French politics.
In Berlin on Tuesday András Aradszki, Secretary of State for Energy Affairs at the Ministry of National Development, said that the construction of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline connecting Russia and Germany may result in Hungary having to procure this energy source at a price higher than it does now.
On 18 March 2016, on behalf of Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, the Hungarian Ministry of Transport submitted to the European Commission a letter of intent for the establishment of the new “Amber” rail freight corridor 11. This is intended to facilitate cross-border rail freight between the four countries. The corridor links the Slovenian seaport of Koper and the Polish dry port in Małaszewicze on the Belarusian border, with important industrial centres and intermodal terminals in Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia and Poland; it also includes a connection to the border with Serbia.
On Wednesday morning, Bakondi György, Chief Security Advisor to the Prime Minister, told public television channel M1 that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has no information on specific terrorist threats to Hungary.