Concerning plans for Sopron, Orbán mentioned construction of the M85 motorway, renovation of Sopron’s 18th century city centre, and development of the world heritage site near Lake Fertő as projects to be completed before 2018.

Orbán noted that the motorway construction, which would cost more than 100 billion forints (EUR 334.14m), will be financed from central coffers, without European funds. He added that the goal was to establish a motorway connection between all major towns and link them with border crossing stations by 2018.

Orbán said that Sopron’s leaders will consult local residents over the renovation of the city centre to allow locals to have a say in the way public funds are spent. On the subject of the world heritage site, the prime minister said that the goal was to ensure “the same quality” in Hungary as on the other side of the Austrian border.

Negotiations are also under way concerning a new industrial park, Orbán added. The prime minister called on the leaders of all towns to twin up with ethnic Hungarian towns in western Ukraine.

He said that Ukraine was struggling for survival, and said that the proposed partnerships should be more efficient than the conventional ties between sister cities.

Source www.hungarymatters.hu

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MTI photo: Máthé Zoltán