Hungary's minister of foreign affairs and trade has posted on his Facebook page from Singapore. In a video shared on his social media, FM Peter Szijjarto emphasized that Singapore was the most competitive country in the region and one of the most open economies in the world.
Singapore is Hungary's largest trading partner in the Southeast Asia region, and most investments in Hungary originate from Singapore.
In many respects Hungary and Singapore find themselves in similar situations, so it is perhaps unsurprising that we share a comparable approach to some of the most pressing issues facing world politics and the global economy today. On numerous instances our perspectives align, deviating from the international mainstream,
– Hungary's foreign minister has said, adding that Singapore, just like Hungary, is extremely sensitive to its sovereignty. He noted that Singapore has also adopted legislation regarding the protection of its sovereignty and has established an institutional mechanism to protect it. Consequently, the Asian country has faced similar attacks in international politics as Hungary.
We agreed that every country has the right to represent its own national interest. Every country has the right to act to defend its own sovereignty. We both call for a peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine. We believe that the role of international diplomacy is to engage with all parties, even those with whom we may not agree on every issue,
– FM Szijjarto remarked.
We need negotiations as soon as possible to end the war in Ukraine. The later this happens, the more people will die and the more destruction will be wrought in Ukraine, he added.
Neither Russia, nor Ukraine can win the war, the minister pointed out.
We urge that these negotiations start as soon as possible, as this is the way to save more lives and prevent more destruction,
– he added.
Cooperation with Singapore will bring many benefits from both a Hungarian and a European perspective. Last year's trade turnover between Hungary and Singapore came very close to a new record, exceeding one billion dollars. Mr Szijjarto underlined that
Singapore has allowed 24 Hungarian food companies to export pork and poultry meat, adding that Hungary will take advantage of the opportunities this will bring.
Dyson, one of the world's largest household appliance companies, is also planning a major investment in Hungary. We held successful negotiations regarding thi sproject," FM Szijjarto stated, added that the details will be announced in a few weeks. He emphasized that the EU also has an interest in fostering a close cooperation with Singapore.
We will use our forthcoming EU Presidency to negotiate a digital trade agreement between the European Union and Singapore,
– FM Szijjarto has said.
