The MoU on the issuance of renminbi-denominated government bonds was signed by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Bank of China President Tian Guoli. Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó and Minister for National Economy Mihály Varga also participated at the event. Mihály Varga called the signing of the document a major milestone, as Hungary is the first country in the Central and Eastern European region to issue a renminbi bond. The Minister added it was a sign of confidence in the Hungarian economy and stable growth.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade was shocked to learn about the bombing committed against a bus carrying members of the Presidential Guard in downtown Tunis in the evening of Tuesday, 23 November, which left 13 people dead and more than 20 injured. We profoundly condemn this horrible terrorist attack resulting in this tragedy, which cannot be justified.
At a bilateral meeting in Suzhou, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán expressed his gratitude to Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang for the excellent Chinese-Hungarian cooperation. The main topic of the discussion was the potential expansion of Hungarian agricultural products’ export to China.
In a speech at a summit between China and Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries held in the city of Suzhou, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Europe has been attacked, and is exposed to further threats. Security has now become the key priority in Europe, he said.
At an expert-level forum held on Monday in Budapest, Minister of State for EU Affairs Szabolcs Takács at the Prime Minister’s Office said that Hungary wishes to see a satisfied and strong Great Britain within a renewed European Union; this would also benefit the Government of Hungary, he added.
At the 9th Central European Energy Conference organised on 23 November in Bratislava, Minister of State for Energy András Aradszki emphasised that issues of security of energy supply and affordable energy prices have to be handled as primary objectives in the implementation of the Energy Union’s strategy, and these criteria have to be fulfilled simultaneously.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó signed the inter-governmental agreement on the refurbishment of the Budapest-Belgrade railway line with the President of the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission. 85 per cent of the project will be financed from credit provided by China. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade described the agreement as the first tangible success of cooperation between China and Central-Eastern-Europe.
Following bilateral talks with Russian First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Titov on Friday, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said that a foolish debate is going on about whether there is a link between terrorism and illegal migration.
At the award ceremony of the Chinese-Hungarian Friendship Awards held on Friday in Parliament, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said that Hungary is the bridgehead of China’s economic expansion in Europe, and cooperation between the two countries is at its highest level since the diplomatic relations between Hungary and China began 66 years ago. The Eastward Opening Policy goes back to these roots.
In Suzhou in China, the Prime Minister held bilateral talks with Prime Minister of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic and Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius. The discussions mainly focused on Montenegro’s NATO and EU membership, and the Hungarian-Lithuanian business forum planned for the beginning of next year, respectively.