Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and foreign minister Péter Szijjártó have arrived in Cape Verde on an official visit.
The foreign minister told MTI that Africa will make a significant contribution to global economic growth in the coming period and called it “the continent of the future”. The minister pushed it as far as to say that in future, Africa will be to the global economy what China was a few years ago.
Minister Szijjártó said evidence of the continent’s development is the presence of all of the world’s strongest economies seeking ways to benefit from the continent’s economic growth.
The minister added that Hungary must choose African countries willing to cooperate and with a common understanding.
Minister Szijjártó said Cape Verde is a Christian country that takes Christian values and Christian heritage seriously. “It has great respect for Hungary which has a similar attitude so the two countries share an understanding and this ensures the foundations for economic cooperation,” the minister added.
The minister said Hungary is laying the foundation for this cooperation by providing 35 million euros in tied aid for investment projects in agriculture, irrigation and water management in Cape Verde.
Magyar Eximbank will open a 15 million euro credit line to support partnerships between businesses in Hungary and Cape Verde. An economic protection agreement and a treaty on avoidance of double taxation with Cape Verde will be signed.
The minister revealed that a joint economic committee will also be established. Hungary will also offer an annual ten scholarships for students from Cape Verde to study at Hungarian universities, and 30 million HUF (94,000 EUR) in support for training music teachers from Cape Verde in the Kodály method in the next three years, he said.