MINSK, 14 January (BelTA) – The signing of the Belarus-Hungary agreements and a memorandum in Minsk will become an important massage to the business communities of the two countries to boost cooperation, Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei told the media following the meeting with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto in Minsk on 14 January, BelTA has learned.
The minister said the talks with his Hungarian counterpart were very productive. He also noted the importance of Peter Szijjarto's meeting with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko during which they discussed the bilateral relations and Belarus' cooperation with the EU.
“I am pleased to say that out meetings in Minsk, Budapest, at multilateral forums are a good tradition,” Vladimir Makei said. “In general, Belarus-Hungary contacts in various areas are very intensive and it is important that the countries strive to bring the bilateral dialogue to a new level," he added.
Vladimir Makei said that today the talks focused on the topical issues on international and European agendas, prospects of Belarusian-Hungarian relations, interaction of Belarus and Hungary in international organizations. The main focus of the talks was on the economy, mutually beneficial trade and economic ties. Cooperation in mechanical engineering and pharmaceuticals, agriculture and food industry, construction and tourism is viewed as the most promising.
The minister stressed the importance of the signed documents. He emphasized the intergovernmental agreement on the promotion and mutual protection of investments. The parties worked on the document for almost 10 years. “This agreement will serve as an important signal for the business communities of the two countries to intensify cooperation,” he said.
The minister also touched upon the joint investment projects, extensive industrial cooperation with the prospects of entering not only national markets but also the capacious markets of the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union. He emphasized the importance of the Belarusian-Hungarian intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation as an important mechanism for the implementation of trade and economic projects.
