Hungary values friendship with Finland, says government official

Hungarians value their long friendship with the Finns, a government official said at the opening of the 15th Hungarian-Finnish Sister Cities Conference, adding that the two peoples were bound by their shared tasks like achieving sustainable development.

Since 2000, Hungary has been able to keep its economy growing while reducing CO2 emissions, Zsófia Koncz, the deputy minister in charge of technology and industry, told the conference, adding that Hungary ranked 9th in the European Union in terms of per capita emissions. She noted Hungary’s aim to become one of the world’s top 50 most liveable countries by 2030.

Tibor Navracsics, the minister for regional development, said there had never been a time in history when Hungarians and Finns had turned against each other, “despite attempts to incite disagreement between us”. As an industrial and cultural leader, Finland sets and example for the whole of Europe today, he said.

• Read also: State of emergency in Hungary may be extended by 180 days whenever from November

Opposition calls on parliament to ratify Sweden, Finland NATO accession

The opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) has called on parliament to ratify the NATO accession of Sweden and Finland. All 30 NATO member states, including Hungary, backed membership of the two countries at the start of July. However, the Turkish and Hungarian parliaments are the only ones not to have ratified their accession, Ágnes Vadai, DK’s deputy group leader, told an online press briefing on Wednesday. She added that the government was serving Russian interests by not submitting Sweden and Finland’s accession documents to parliament.

Read alsoThe Hungarian forint’s newest historical low against the dollar

Source: MTI