Katalin Szili Encourages Regional Cooperation for Economic Balance in the Face of Globalism

MTI-Hungary Today 2023.12.01.

Inauguration of a meat processing plant in Ineu (Csíkjenőfalva, Transylvania), Romania

The antidote to global exposure can be provided by regional cooperation in line with common interests, said Katalin Szili, Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister at the meeting of the Board of the National Forum of Hungarian Entrepreneurship Associations of the Carpathian Basin (KMVNF), held on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of its founding.

Speaking at the event in Budapest on Thursday, Katalin Szili recalled that after the end of the communist regime in 1989, the Hungarian economy became extremely exposed due to privatization. It was therefore prudent to move in the right direction, so that the economy would not only be dominated by multinational companies, but also by small and medium-sized enterprises, she added.

In her speech, Szili set the goal of minimizing the exposure of the Carpathian Basin’s economies through regional cooperation, in order to help them weather periods of crisis. “This is the only way to ensure that Hungarians in the Carpathian Basin can thrive in their homeland, and to become a driving force for strengthening bilateral relations, and thus for regional cooperation (…),” she said.

We are also united by a common language and a common interest, and by creating common knowledge, it will be easier to access EU funds in the future and to develop cooperation between border regions, among other things,”

she continued.

Photo: Facebook/Dr. Szili Katalin

“In order for Europe to redefine itself in this global world, it should be accepted that the role and the center of gravity of this region will be particularly important in the coming period in Europe, as the renewal of the continent can start from here, from the Carpathian Basin,” Szili emphasized.

Fact

In April 2019, the Presidency of the National Association of Entrepreneurs and Employers established the National Forum of Hungarian Entrepreneurs’ Associations in the Carpathian Basin (KMVNF). The Forum is intended to be a consultative community for cooperation and joint thinking, respecting the autonomy of the participating business organizations and the laws of the countries concerned.

So far, 22 cross-border business associations have joined the Forum, including one in the Moravian region (Czechia), one in Croatia, six in the southern region, nine in Transylvania (Romania), two in the Transcarpathian region (Ukraine), and three in Slovakia. The 22 cross-border business associations have more than 6,000 member companies. These member companies employ mainly Hungarian workers.

Via MTI, Featured image: Facebook/Pro Economica Alapítvány