The Foreign Minister has said Hungary has “always attached great significance” to the cooperation between central European countries and Croatia stands within that pledge.
Following the inauguration of Hungary’s new embassy compound in Zagreb, with his Croatian counterpart, on Thursday, Péter Szijjártó said Croatia is our ally, a friend and a good neighbor.
Minister Szijjártó said Croatia is a popular destination for Hungarians, noting that 655,000 visited seaside resorts there last year. He added that Hungarian tourists contributed 400 million euros to Croatia’s tourism revenues in 2018.
The Minister said the world was changing “at an unprecedented pace” with new conditions in global politics and economy under which “stability, rationality and predictability, traits of central Europe”, have become highly valued.
Minister Szijjártó said countries in the region have understood the importance of cooperation, making them stronger.
The Foreign Minister noted that Hungary-Croatia bilateral trade exceeded 2.2 billion euros in 2018. The largest Hungarian companies are present in Croatia, he said, adding that Hungarian businesses had recorded 4 billion euros worth of investments so far.
Photo credit: kormany.hu
Minister Szijjártó also said that he hoped energy security would be a guiding light between the two nations in the very near future, arguing that it is critically important for central Europe as a whole.