Meeting between Korean and Hungarian Foreign Ministers... Discussing Cooperation on COVID-19 and Hungarian Ship Accident

Hungarian Foreign Minister "Hopes for Increased Investment by Korean Companies in Hungary"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 27th, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha held a meeting with P?ter Szijj?rt?, Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs, to discuss ways to enhance practical cooperation after the COVID-19 pandemic and cooperation measures related to the Hungarian ship accident.

Both ministers highly evaluated the close cooperation between the two countries through the exchange of essential personnel, including businesspeople, despite the difficult situation caused by COVID-19. Minister Kang welcomed the Hungarian government's decision on the 15th to allow entry from Korea to Hungary without restrictions. The Hungarian government classifies countries worldwide into green, yellow, and red zones based on the COVID-19 situation and allows unrestricted entry from green countries, including Korea.

The ministers expressed satisfaction with the continuous increase in trade and investment between the two countries and agreed to cooperate to ensure this trend continues despite the COVID-19 situation. Minister Szijj?rt? said, "Last year, Korea became the largest investor in Hungary, and the Hungarian government hopes that Korean companies' investments in Hungary will increase further."

Additionally, Minister Szijj?rt? explained that the Hungarian side is promoting the unveiling ceremony of a memorial sculpture for the Hungarian ship accident and expressed hope that the bereaved families could attend the ceremony. Minister Kang responded by expressing gratitude for the Hungarian side's efforts to hold a memorial event on May 29, the first anniversary of the ship accident, and to promote the unveiling of the memorial sculpture, while urging the Hungarian government to maintain continuous interest to ensure thorough investigation and accountability for the accident.

Meanwhile, the two ministers also exchanged views on cooperation between Korea and the Visegr?d Group (V4) and cooperation on the international stage, including international organizations. Minister Kang requested Hungary's special interest and support for Yoo Myung-hee, the head of Korea's Trade Negotiations Headquarters, who is running for the next Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.