Finance Minister Mihály Varga said Hungary has continued to be a key destination for foreign investors, the country has retained its competitive business environment despite the war crisis.
Following talks with Gilles Roth, his Luxembourg counterpart, in Budapest, Minister Varga said Hungarian exports to Luxembourg have increased nearly five-fold in the past five years and the turnover of bilateral trade has reached a new record last year. The ministers agreed that the growth and innovation gap between the EU and its global competitors should be reduced, Varga said, adding that Roth had assured him of Luxembourg’s support for the upcoming Hungarian EU presidency in the second half of the year. The Hungarian presidency will give increased focus to the community’s competitiveness issue and demographic challenges, its transition to a green economy, and a sustainable debt repayment schedule, Varga said, adding that Hungary was prepared to draft the EU budget for 2025. Concerning bilateral economic ties, Varga said Luxembourg’s investments in Hungary exceeded two billion euros, while Hungarian companies have invested nearly 400 million euros in Luxembourg. The minister added that the centenary of establishing bilateral diplomatic relations will be celebrated this year.