During his visit Hungary, Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Kourkoulas met with his Hungarian counterpart, Deputy Foreign Minister for European Affairs Eniko Gyori. During the meeting, Mr. Kourkoulas briefed Ms. Gyori on the priorities of the upcoming Greek EU Presidency in the first half of 2014. He noted the need for European initiatives aimed at combating unemployment and at completing the Economic and Monetary Union, also pointing up the need to promote community solidarity on the issue of free movement of persons. Mr. Kourkoulas also set out the impressive fiscal adaptation results Greece has achieved, noting the positive signs in the tourism and export sectors.
The two Deputy Ministers also exchanged views on EU enlargements issues and the multiannual financial framework. On the margins of the meeting, Mr. Kourkoulas thanked Ms. Gyori for the Hungarian Foreign Ministry’s recent assistance in the successful rescuing of Greek students who were in Hungary during a school excursion.
Mr. Kourkoulas had met earlier with State Minister for international economic relations Peter Szijjarto, with whom he decided on the organization of a Greek business mission to Budapest to promote joint business activities and exports, as well as on the updating of the tourism agreement between the two countries.
The Hungarian side showed particular interest in joint business ventures of Greek and Hungarian enterprises in third countries, as well as in the promotion of the rail and road link between Hungary and Greece (via Carpathia), potentially through utilizing the EU’s new Connecting Europe Facility, the implementation of which was decided upon within the framework of the multiannual financial framework. The two ministers also expressed their will for closer cooperation between Invest in Greece and the corresponding Hungarian organization, HITA.
March 27, 2013