The Foreign Minister has announced that Hungary has an interest in deepening cooperation with India.
Following talks with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Budapest, Péter Szijjártó said Hungary and India were focusing their cooperation on five key areas - production, digitalization, water management, solar energy and the pharmaceutical industry.
Concerning water management, Minister Szijjártó said Hungarian companies were working on wastewater treatment and water purification solutions as well as building plumbing systems in the region. He added that India’s water management minister was scheduled to visit Hungary in October for further cooperation talks.
According to MTI, Minister Szijjártó noted that India was the world’s seventh largest economy, with GDP growth of over seven percent in recent years. Indian companies make up the fourth largest investor group in Hungary, with 35 Indian companies employing nearly 7,000 Hungarians.
The Minister added that bilateral trade with India was up 16 percent in 2018, and the growth rate is likely to continue this year.
Minister Szijjarto also said the two countries would continue their UN cooperation “in areas where they see eye to eye”. He also added that the UN should take a leading role in the fight against international terrorism.
Jaishankar said Hungary’s competitiveness and favorable business environment made it a useful partner with which India was aiming to establish a mutually beneficial partnership.