Hungarian foreign minister held talks in Beijing

Beijing, November 30 (MTI) – Hungary has achieved its goal of becoming one of the main hubs for China’s economic expansion in Europe, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Wednesday.

“When the Chinese think about the economy and Europe, then it is Hungary that mostly comes to their minds now,” Szijjártó said by phone after talks that lasted for four hours with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

Hungary, with one of Europe’s most competitive investment environments, geographical situation and infrastructure, has succeeded in attracting the most Chinese investment in the region, he said. Hungary was also the largest exporter from its region to China last year and this year, he added.

“This represents enormous economic growth potential,” Szijjártó said.

He said they had agreed that the two countries’ ties should be raised to the level of a strategic partnership, and this would mean the highest level of cooperation in China.

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By next March at the latest, the tender for upgrading the Budapest-Belgrade rail line will be called, and by the end of June the project management contract should be ready to be signed, he said, adding that he had discussed the project with the head of China’s National Development and Reform Council.

“Hungary will thereby be indispensable to the export of Chinese products to western Europe,” Szijjártó said.

An agreement was made to expand Hungarian farm exports to China, as part of the foreign minister’s visit.

In the first eight months of the year, Hungarian farm-product exports to China grew by over 70 percent, and now the export of Hungarian corn and milk products can begin, he said, adding that the deal amounted to tens of millions of dollars.