President Ader: Building economic links with V4 market worthy of efforts for US investors

New York, September 25 (MTI) – The Visegrad Four countries are small but represent a market of 65 million people; for this reason, it is worthy for US investors to develop economic links with them, President Janos Ader said in New York on Wednesday local time.

Ader told around 150 professionals at an economic forum held at the Google headquarters that Hungary had given 15 Nobel laureates and two Abel laureates to the world. At present around 30,000 researchers are working in the country and some 150,000 people in its IT industry, he said.

The forum was also attended by Slovak Pesident Andrej Kiska, Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek and Polish deputy economy minister Ilona Antoniszyn-Klik.

Ader said a system of higher education institutions is being developed in areas where high-tech companies set up business, for instance near Gyor in northwest Hungary. Spending on research and development and information technology increased by 350 percent between 2000 and 2012 and during the EU’s new seven-year budget period Hungary can spend twice as much on R and D as during the past seven years.

The president said that Hungary would soon set up a new national institute for R and D and innovation to be directed by former president of the Academy of Sciences Jozsef Palinkas. This institution will focus on coordinating the Hungarian state’s efforts to promote innovation, Ader said.

Earlier in the day, Ader held talks with his Mongolian and Albanian counterparts at the UN headquarters.

Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj praised the existing cooperation between the two countries, with special regard to higher education, foreign affairs director of the President’s Office Laszlo Szoke said. Elbegdorj also mentioned the chance of revamping factories built jointly by Hungarian and Mongolian firms. The two presidents are scheduled to meet in Budapest in October when they plan to discuss continued cooperation in education and joint projects in environmental protection.

Szoke said Hungary’s embassy in Ulan Bator is planned to reopen in the first half of 2015.

Albanian President Bujar Nishani said Hungary served as a model for his country’s transformation and praised Hungary’s role in promoting Albania’s NATO accession and EU candidacy. He invited Ader for a visit to Albania. Ader accepted the invitation.

Photo: MTI – Noemi Bruzak

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters