The Minister of National Development has signed contracts for a total of eight areas with the four companies which were awarded permits following the tender invitations for hydrocarbon extraction concessions published in April 2015.
On Monday Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács told public television channel M1 that leaders of the Visegrád countries have affirmed their faith in a joint European position against migration, but they support a concept which is different to that of the governments of Germany or the Netherlands.
Reacting to Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann’s proposal to impose stricter regulations on employment abroad published in Austrian daily Österreich’s weekend edition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade published a statement on Monday, in which he declared that “we reject all discriminative regulations and efforts to introduce such rules. Furthermore, we find it odd that Austria’s Chancellor is planning stricter regulations against EU citizens, while opening its gates wide to migrants”.
At the session of the EU Foreign Affairs Council on 15 February 2016, the Hungarian delegation was headed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Parliamentary State Secretary Dr. László Szabó.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó is holding talks in the United States’ second largest state. Negotiations in Texas are primarily centred on the economy, but Hungary’s chief diplomat will also be signing an agreement with the Mayor of Dallas in addition to holding a lecture on current negotiations concerning the free trade agreement between the United States and the European Union.
Minister of State for Government Communication Bence Tuzson told public television channel M1 that it is the Government’s task to protect people; 2016 must be about maintaining and strengthening security.
At a press conference following a special summit of Visegrád Four (V4) prime ministers in Prague, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that the policy the European Union has so far pursued in handling the migration crisis has failed, the external Schengen borders could not be protected, and therefore a new, second line of defence is needed.
In Parliament on Monday Prime Minister Viktor Orbán highlighted halting the decline in the Hungarian population as one of the most important tasks for the future. Mr. Orbán also stated that teachers are asking for an 18% pay increase, which is currently impossible.
“Action against the compulsory resettlement quota should be a national issue”, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in Parliament.
On Saturday, Chief Security Advisor to the Prime Minister György Bakondi told public television channel M1 that “there is nothing to indicate that the number of illegal migrants will decrease this year, and in fact they could arrive in Europe in even greater numbers in the spring”.