Concluding CETA in Hungary’s interest, says foreign minister in Ottawa

Washington, DC, October 24 (MTI) – Concluding the CETA free trade pact between the European Union and Canada is a vital Hungarian interest, the Hungarian foreign minister said in Ottawa, after talks with Canadian officials on Monday.

“Signing CETA as soon as possible would undoubtedly be in Hungary’s economic interests, since Hungarian companies currently suffer a disadvantage on the Canadian market against US and Mexican competitors that have trade agreements with Canada,” Péter Szijjártó said.

Signing would also help in marketing Hungarian-made vehicles as well as pharmaceutical and food products in Canada, Szijjártó said, noting the 535 million dollar credit line opened by Hungary’s Eximbank to support this goal.

The minister held talks with counterpart Stephane Dion in the morning and laid a wreath at the monument for Hungary’s 1956 revolution. Afterwards he met influential Canadian business people, including Hungarian-born gold-mining magnet and philanthropist Peter Munk.

Assessing his talks, Szijjártó told MTI by phone that Canada and Hungary would continue to be close allies, primarily in economic, trade and defence cooperation.