A key part of Péter Szijjártó's message was a call for diplomacy rooted in mutual respect.Continue reading
The example of Hungary clearly demonstrates that it is possible to successfully assert the national interest even as a loyal member of the European Union and NATO, but one must not give up even a small part of state sovereignty, said Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó in Republika Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina).
At a panel discussion at the Investment Conference of Republika Srpska, the minister stressed that the national interest is always the compass of government work in Hungary, and the example of our country also proves that it is possible to successfully assert the national interest even as a loyal member of the European Union and NATO.
This requires a great deal of courage and national pride. And it requires that you do not give up even a tiny part of your national sovereignty in the face of the greatest pressure,”
he explained.
He stressed that under the pre-2010 government, “the Hungarian economy was practically destroyed, national wealth was sold off, foreign ownership was in the majority in strategic sectors everywhere, and the highest taxes in Europe were paid, but at the same time unemployment, public debt, and the budget deficit were extremely high.” He said that this difficult situation was finally overcome by introducing the lowest taxes on labor in Europe, a single personal income tax of 15 percent and a single corporate tax of nine percent, unique on the continent, from which all domestic companies benefited, and by a belief in economic neutrality.
Economic neutrality means not allowing ourselves to be forced into different boxes. We are part of the Western integration. But we are not giving up our right to build close business, economic, and investment cooperation with the world to our east,”
said the politician.
Mr. Szijjártó pointed out that one of the important pillars of Hungary’s economic growth is that “our country has become a meeting point for Eastern and Western companies,” with German and Chinese firms building factories side by side, because their global strategies cannot work without each other. “We have never excluded investors from Hungary simply because they come from a particular country (…) We do not discriminate against anyone. We do not want the world to be divided into economic blocs again,” he insisted.
The minister also emphasized that
Hungary is interested in peace and success in the Western Balkans and has therefore been pursuing a responsible neighborhood policy, in the framework of which an agricultural support program worth EUR 26 million had been announced in Republika Srpska.
This has led to the purchase of some 4,700 agricultural tools from 57 Hungarian companies, creating a “win-win situation.”
He said that Hungarian companies will also participate in the construction of wind farms, solar power plants, and a wastewater treatment plant in Republika Srpska. In addition, Hungarian multinational oil company MOL and the Hungarian OTP Bank, both successful in the Western Balkans, could also be interested in entering the market, he added.
Via MTI, Featured image: Facebook/Szijjártó Péter