Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said the success of central Europe is thanks to the power of the Visegrad Group and the coming together of neighbor states to build strong cooperation.
“Hungary isn’t an island of success, but part of Central Europe, the countries of which are ascending together," the prime minister said.
PM Orbán made the comments while opening Japanese tyre manufacturer Bridgestone’s 85 billion HUF (274 million EUR) capacity-expanding investment project in Tatabánya on Thursday.
“The economic growth of the four Visegrád Group (V4) countries is outstanding," the prime minister added. “If we do not count the performance capabilities of our four countries, there is practically no economic growth within the European Union. Central Europe is Europe’s safest and most rapidly developing region," he said.
New plants like Bridgestone’s tyre center are helping to stimulate the Hungarian economy, create new jobs and build international relations.
“Next to the original plant, the Japanese have constructed an 85 billion HUF new plant, which is twice as large, and which will result in the creation of over 500 new jobs," PM Orbán said. “The government contributed almost 2.4 billion HUF (7.7 million EUR) in funding towards the investment," he added.
“Although Japan is 8,000 kilometres from Hungary, it is the second largest investor in the country from outside the EU, and the 151 Japanese companies currently operating in Hungary provide jobs for 30,000 people," the prime minister added.