Xpat Opinion: The Hungarian-Japanese Friendship

  • 28 Nov 2013 8:00 AM
Xpat Opinion: The Hungarian-Japanese Friendship
Last week, I accompanied Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to Japan as part of a large delegation that included Minister of Economy Mihály Varga, Minister of Human Resources Zoltán Balog and several other government and business representatives. The visit was a big deal for both Hungary and Japan and garnered a lot of coverage in the Japanese and Hungarian media.

The direct outcomes of the visit include cultural as well as economic cooperation. Hungary’s MOL and Japan’s JSR will establish a joint venture to produce synthetic rubber in northeastern Hungary, a region hard hit by unemployment. Hungary committed to supporting a free trade agreement between the EU and Japan. And the two sides agreed that Japan, with its know-how in nuclear and renewable energy, should play a major role in Hungary’s strategic goal of reducing energy dependency.

The Hungarian embassy in Tokyo opened a new cultural and tourist center as was opened at the Hungarian embassy in Tokyo as tourism from Japan to Hungary has grown 10 percent over the last year. Hungary also announced a scholarship program to support 100 Japanese students to study in Hungary each year.

All these practical details are important for the future but equally important is the particularly good will that characterized the atmosphere of the entire visit. Hungary understands geopolitical realities, but those should not stop us from also looking for strategic partners outside the European Union. Some say that Hungarians and Japanese have similarities in our way of thinking, and I was able to see first-hand that mutual understanding. That bodes well for the future of our cooperation

By Ferenc Kumin

Source: A Blog About Hungary

This opinion does not necessarily represent the views of this portal, your opinion is welcome too via info@xpatloop.com

  • How does this content make you feel?