US ambassador praises Hungary workforce at AmCham business forum in Budapest
David B. Cornstein, the US ambassador to Hungary, at a business forum organised by the American Chamber of Commerce in Hungary (AmCham) on Tuesday, described Hungary’s workforce as “exceptional” and “highly intelligent”.
Cornstein highlighted Hungary’s low corporate tax rate and said the government’s measures encourage business activity.
He said it was “terrible” that
Hungary receives 80 percent of its energy supply from a single other country.
The ambassador said he believed the Hungarian government shares this sentiment, adding that they were working to have the US supply 40 percent of the country’s energy needs.
Cornstein called Russia a “disruptive” nation.
On another subject, the ambassador called the situation of Budapest’s Central European University (CEU) an emotional affair. He said it would be unfortunate if the CEU moved to Vienna, adding, at the same time, that he believed a solution to the problem was near.
As we wrote a few days ago, David B. Cornstein, the United States’ ambassador to Hungary, said he has not experienced any infringement on freedom rights in Hungary and should the case be the opposite, he would certainly speak out against that, in an interview published by Jewish political and cultural magazine Shabbat, read more HERE.
László Szabó, Hungary’s ambassador to the US and David B. Cornstein US ambassador
László Szabó, Hungary’s ambassador to the US, said many aspects of the two countries’ relations have changed over the past year.
He noted that US President Donald Trump and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán spoke on the phone for the second time shortly before Cornstein had taken up his post in Budapest this past summer and thanked the ambassador for his support.
Szabó said the two countries’ trade relations have “never been better”. Hungarian exports to the US increased by more than 6 percent, while imports rose by 4 percent in Q2 of this year, he said.
Though bilateral relations went through some difficulties during the Obama administration, the two countries were allies in many ways, Szabó said.
More than 1,000 Hungarian troops participated in NATO missions in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan as well as in the fight against the Islamic State terrorist organisation, he added.
Szabo announced that Hungary will open a new incubator in Washington.
Last year, US companies made numerous significant investments in Hungary, the ambassador said, adding that US-based firms employ more than 100,000 people in Hungary.
He said significant progress had been made in getting American liquefied natural gas to Hungary and voiced hope that once this goal is accomplished, Russia’s dominance of the natural gas market would come to an end.
Photo: MTI
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1 Comment
I like this David Cornstein ambassador to Hungary. He is calling clear shots right now. The natural gas dependence on Russia has been a friendly dependence so far. Nobody could help finance energy be it nuclear or NG at their cost to Hungary’s weak and fragile economy. Now that Hungary’s economy is showing “BUY” in most American indexes, the US through Cornstein, want to see Liquid NG purchases from Hungary. The problem here is that the people cannot afford the current prices, let alone 3X or 4X the cost for US deliveries. Hungary will only buy bulk cheap, simple, and i dont think the American shipping method will work unfortunately.