Hungarikum: Pálinka added to EU-Japan geographical indication agreement

Pálinka, the Hungarian eau de vie, has been added to a list of geographical indications protected in an agreement between the European Union and Japan, the European Commission said on Wednesday.

The agreement, which entered into force on 1 February 2019, protects the designated food products against imitation and usurpation. The list of protected geographical indications was extended for the third time.

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Szijjártó thanks Chinese counterpart for efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó on Wednesday thanked his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, for his country’s efforts to create peace in Ukraine.

In their phone call ahead of a meeting of central European foreign ministers in Vienna, Szijjártó and Wang were in agreement that the conditions for peace would deteriorate by the day, so peacemaking efforts have to be stepped up, he said in a post on Facebook.

Szijjártó said his Chinese “counterpart and friend” had expressed his appreciation for Hungary’s commitment to peace.

He said they were also in agreement that cooperation between China and the European Union should be intensified rather than scaled back, as this would be detrimental to Europe.

Hungary has become the number one European destination for Chinese EV industry investments, Szijjártó said, adding Hungary was “proud of this, since we secure all these investments amid incredibly fierce European competition”.

These investments will allow the Hungarian economy to remain on a path of growth, he said.

Szijjártó said they had also discussed the upgrade of the Budapest-Belgrade railway line and assured each other of their commitment to complete the project.