Hungary FM Pushes For Closer Cooperation With India

India could soon become the world's third largest economy, Hungary's foreign minister pointed out.

Szijjártó Péter külgazdasági és külügyminiszter indiai hivatali kollégájával, Subrahmanyam Jaishankarral Új-Delhiben 2024. február 21-én (Fotó: Facebook/Szijjártó Péter) Fotó: MARTON_KIRALY

Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto traveled to India. On Wednesday morning, Hungarian time, he already met with his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, in New Delhi, the foreign minister posted on Facebook.
 

Hungary has a vital interest in building the closest possible cooperation with India,

Peter Szijjarto emphasized.

India's main goal is to become the third largest economy in the world within a short period of time, while it is already a world leader in terms of its population and its weight in global politics is growing, the Hungarian minister pointed out. Hungary-India cooperation is facilitated by the fact that both countries have a similar view on pressing issues in global politics. India also belongs to the camp of countries that want peace, opposes the dominance of politics in the operation of international organizations and calls for a negotiated end to armed conflicts.

Our economic cooperation is intensifying, our trade turnover exceeded one billion euros last year, and the biggest Indian companies are making huge investments in Hungary,

Peter Szijjarto said.

He pointed out that Tata Consultancy Services Hungary provides global business management services in 33 languages, the Motherson Group has become one of the world's leading automotive suppliers with factories in several locations in Hungary, and Apollo Tyres also supplies customer demand from Hungary. He also noted that last year, a record number of Indian students applied to study in Hungary, with 2,400 Indian students applying for 200 scholarships.

"Our important task now is to prepare a direct air link to give a new boost to economic cooperation," he added.

In the context of Hungary's EU presidency, he highlighted that negotiations on the free trade agreement between the European Union and India will resume, talks on an investment protection agreement and on the protection of geographical indications will kick off. On Wednesday, the parties agreed to convene a meeting of the EU-India Trade and Technology Council during Hungary's rotating presidency.

Cover photo: Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi on February 21, 2024 (Source: Facebook/Peter Szijjarto)