Speaking at the inauguration of Hungary’s new consulate building in London on Tuesday, Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said many of the British companies doing business in Hungary had proven their loyalty during the coronavirus pandemic by deciding to invest in their local bases rather than cut production.
Minister Szijjártó said British businesses make up the sixth-largest investor community in Hungary, with more than 800 companies employing some 55,000 people. Bilateral trade turnover came to nearly 5 billion euros last year, “which it will likely reach this year”, he said. Hungary and the UK will also continue their cooperation in the area of nuclear energy with a view to ensuring that nuclear power is not discriminated against and determining the national energy mix remains a national competence, he said. “The countries that can produce at least a large amount of the energy they consume are the ones that are truly secure,” Minister Szijjártó said. He said some 180,000-200,000 Hungarians live in the UK, adding that the Hungarian consulate had handled 23,000-27,000 cases in the last few years, which is three times as many as ten years ago. Minister Szijjártó also praised the organization of the Hungarian general elections in London, noting that most of the Hungarian votes cast at foreign missions had been cast in the UK capital.
Photo credit: Facebook/Szijjártó Péter