Foreign ministry official discusses economic ties in Indonesia

Jakarta, November 4 (MTI) – Foreign ministry state secretary László Szabó held talks with Indonesia officials on bilateral economic ties over the past two days.

The state secretary met, among others, Indonesia’s deputy foreign minister, the ministry’s director for American and European affairs, the head of the Indonesian chamber of industry, the minister of telecommunications and information technology and the senate leader in charge of foreign affairs.

Szabó told MTI over the phone that Hungarian companies are involved in a number of water management and energy-related projects in Indonesia.

Budapest waterworks Fővárosi Vízművek has won the rights to carry out the construction of water purification plants in 34 different sites in that country, he said.

The Hungarian National Trading House has also opened an office in Indonesia, which is expected to further boost bilateral trade relations, Szabó said. The state secretary added that Indonesia could become a “model state” for Hungary’s foreign trade strategy.

The annual value of Hungarian exports to Indonesia could reach 400 billion forints (EUR 1.3bn) within two to three years, Szabó said.

He said there were also opportunities for Hungarian businesses in construction, health care and the fields of mobile payment solutions, online tills and electronic road tolls.

Szabó said bilateral relations were also progressing well in the field of education. He said the Hungarian government had offered state scholarships to 50 Indonesian university students within the framework of the Stipendium Hungaricum programme. The Indonesian government has also offered scholarships to some 300 Hungarian students, he added.

Source: MTI