"We know very well that terrorism is not just a threat in itself, the real threat is that terrorism and mass migration are in a vicious circle," stated Szijjártó.Continue reading
Cooperation between Hungary and Jordan has great potential, and the parties will continue to work on developing the relationship, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said after the meeting of the bilateral Joint Economic Committee.
At a joint press conference with Jordanian Minister of Industry Yousef Mahmoud Al Shamali, Péter Szijjártó said that the number one task of the Hungarian foreign economic strategy remains to help Hungarian companies find export markets and build international business-to-business cooperation. He added that in this respect, the Middle East is one of our strategic targets.
The Foreign Minister welcomed the 15 percent increase in bilateral trade turnover last year and the 43 percent increase registered so far this year. He said that exports of Hungarian pharmaceutical goods and dairy products in particular have surged recently. He added that
the two governments have also convened a working group on water, with the main task being to disseminate advanced Hungarian water management technologies in Jordan to address the challenges faced.
Péter Szijjártó highlighted that agreements had also been reached between universities and research institutes in the two countries in the fields of agricultural research, agricultural modernization and food security, expected to help ease the difficulties facing the Middle Eastern country.
He emphasized that
the number of tourists arriving in Jordan this year was up by around 50 percent compared to last year, thanks in part to the six flights a week between the two countries’ cities.
“We are also well aware that stability and security are important foundations for good economic cooperation, which is why we support initiatives that contribute to Jordan’s security,” Péter Szijjártó underlined. He cited as an example that
after the money meant to finance the Afghan forces was not returned to NATO members despite the withdrawal, the government redirected 40 million forints (EUR 106,000) of it to improve Jordan’s defense capabilities.
Finally, the Foreign Minister announced the extension for another three years of cooperation in higher education, under which 400 students a year will be able to study at Hungarian universities on scholarships.
In the afternoon, the Hungarian-Jordanian Business Forum took place, where the two countries signed an agreement on securing the necessary conditions for the development of business cooperation. The parties also agreed to finalize a treaty on the avoidance of double taxation.
Featured photo via MTI/Lakatos Péter