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Péter Balázs received the Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate | | |  Foreign Minister Péter Balázs on March 8, 2010, engaged in negotiations with Kurt Beck, the Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate province, the one-time Chairman of the German Social Democratic (SPD) Party, who paid a visit to Budapest. Political relations between Hungary and Rhineland-Palatinate are problem-free and trade with the province approaches 3% of the general turnover with Germany. The aim of the meeting was to weigh up opportunities for further cooperation and review relations hitherto as well as international issues affecting both sides. Mr Beck expressed recognition for the efforts by the Hungarian government over the past year to restore economic stability. He also thanked Hungary for the dismantling of the Iron Curtain in 1989. These steps strengthened the traditionally close Hungarian-German relations – he added. Beyond mentioning political and economic relations with Rhineland-Palatinate, PM Beck emphasised the significance of cultural and educational cooperation. In this regard, he offered internship places in the province for undergraduates of the Budapest-based German language Andrássy University.  Mr Balázs briefed his German partner on the priorities of Hungarian foreign policy such as ideas on the EU Danube Region Strategy, Central and Eastern European endeavours in energy policy, and the Visegrad Four’s initiatives within the European neighbourhood policy and the Eastern Partnership programme. In answer to Mr Beck’s enquiry, Mr Balázs gave a briefing on the preparations and priorities of Hungary’s EU presidency in the first half of 2011. Among them contours of the forthcoming financial perspective, EU regional policy and the common agricultural policy are of key interest for Rhineland-Palatinate. As regards community policies in general both sides stressed the importance of observing structural differences and the principle of subsidiarity.
(March 8, 2010) |
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