Events

MINSK, 17 March (BelTA) – Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei is expected to visit Budapest on 16-17 March. During the visit Vladimir Makei will sign the program on cooperation between the Belarusian and Hungarian ministries of foreign affairs in 2016 – H1 2017. The information was released by Dmitry Mironchik, Head of the Information Office, Press Secretary of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on 17 March, BelTA has learned.

While in Hungary the Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs is also expected to meet with Hungary Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen, First Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary, chairman of the Belarus-Hungary interparliamentary friendship group Sandor Lezsak, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto as well as representatives of major private Hungarian companies that have investment interests in Belarus (pharmaceutics, processing of agricultural products, industrial cooperation).

During the visit the exhibition Belarus and Belarusians will be opened in the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It has been prepared by the National History Museum of Belarus.

The visit to Budapest will facilitate the development of high-level bilateral political contacts with Hungary, the discussion of promising avenues of cooperation in bilateral relations and in Belarus’ relations with the European Union. The visit will facilitate the utilization of the potential of Belarusian-Hungarian relations for the sake of advancing cooperation with Central Europe countries on the whole.

In 2015 Belarus’ merchandise export to Hungary totaled $75.4 million (91% as against 2014), with import at $126 million (83.7%). Belarus had a foreign trade deficit of $50.6 million, which was $16.7 million down from 2014. Belarus-Hungary trade shrank by 13.8% to $201.4 million. In 2015 Belarus exported 128 commodity items to Hungary, 15 commodity items up from 2014. New kinds of merchandise in 26 commodity groups were sold to earn $3.53 million.

Cooperation in transport and tourism affairs contributed to a higher surplus of the foreign trade in services. In 2015 Belarus’ export totaled $10.1 million, slightly more than in 2014. The surplus rose to $6.29 million.

In 2015 Belarus received $221,000 in Hungarian investments, including $218,000 in FDI (on net terms). The figure was considerably higher than the one registered in 2014.