| May 18, 2012

The proportion of those saying that no asylum-seeker should be allowed to enter Hungary has increased by about 10% in the past five years, says a poll by the public opinion research institute Tárki that conducted the poll this March.

| May 17, 2012

Hungary future IMF negotiator, Mihály Varga, expects formal negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union on a financial assistance program start as soon as early summer thanks to meeting the preconditions for the talks.

| May 16, 2012

The South African ambassador to Hungary, Takalani Esther Netshitenzhe welcomed guests - diplomats, businesspeople and South African citizens living in Hungary - at the Gundel Restaurant in Budapest to celebrate her country's Freedom Day.

| May 15, 2012

Democratic Party Leader in the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi led a bipartisan Delegation to Hungary to mark the 90th anniversary of U.S.-Hungarian diplomatic relations. She also raised some issues she is concerned about.

Quote of the week

| May 11, 2012

Hungarian oil and gas group MOL is to invest further USD 250 million in Kazakhstan where an oil production project is expected to be launched in 2015. Preparatory works are led by MOL there, according to MOL Chairman-CEO Zsolt Hernádi.

| May 10, 2012

János Áder was inaugurated this Thursday in front of the Sándor Palace, the office of the President, in the Buda Castle with the participation of dignitaries. The new President, who turned 53 on Wednesday, vowed to serve his country and the nation.

| May 9, 2012

The Benelux issue of Diplomacy & Trade carried an interview with the Honorary Consul of Luxembourg in Hungary, veteran diplomat István Horváth. The Luxembourg ambassador accredited to Hungary is based in Luxembourg.

| May 8, 2012

Budapest will host the new data-processing center of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), from 2013. The facility, providing a bandwidth never seen in Hungary before, will be established in the outskirts of the Hungarian capital.

| May 4, 2012

The Hungarian Minister of National Resources, Miklós Réthelyi resigned from his post this week and the State Seretary for Social Inclusion in another ministry, Zoltán Balog was nominated as the new minister by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

| April 26, 2012

The European Commission is ready to close the infringement procedure against Hungary concerning issues related to the central bank, paving the way for talks to begin on IMF/EU financial aid, the Hungarian news agency MTI reported.

| April 24, 2012

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán held a short meeting with European Commission President José Manuel Barroso in Brussels on Tuesday. Orbán says a breakthrough is close in disputed with the EU but analysts are skeptical.

Sándor Laczkó | April 23, 2012

Representing the population, the companies and values – these are the main goals of the Belgian Ambassador to Hungary, Jo Indekeu who talked about this and other issues in an interview with the March-April issue of Diplomacy and Trade.

Sándor Laczkó | April 19, 2012

In bilateral ties, the main objective of the Dutch Ambassador to Hungary, Robert Milders, has always been to improve investor relations. He elaborates on this and other issues in an interview for the April-May issue of Diplomacy & Trade.

| April 19, 2012

Denmark’s Grundfos, one of the world's leading pump manufacturers, is to build its fourth Hungarian pump factory in Székesfehérvár (60 kilometres west of Budapest) in a HUF 4 billion (EUR 13.46 m) green-field investment.

| April 16, 2012

Johnson Controls, a global leader in automotive seating, overhead systems, door and instrument panels and interior electronics, has launched production at a new facility in Kecskemét for the local Mercedes plant.

| April 4, 2012

PHI Group, Inc., a company focused on energy and natural resources, announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire a 51% equity interest in Vietnam-Hungary Technological Application Joint Stock Company (VHC).

DT | April 3, 2012

An informal gathering, organized by the group Diplomatic Spouses Budapest (DSB), was recently hosted at the Residence of the Royal Thai Embassy, bringing Thailand and Laos into the focal point of interest for the Hungarian audience.

| April 2, 2012

Hungarian President Pál Schmitt has resigned from his post. His decision comes after the doctoral committee of the SOTE University in Budapest stripped him of his doctoral title as a result of findings that he copied most of his doctoral thesis.

| March 30, 2012

The Hungarian Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence issued a joint statement at the anniversary of the signing and entering into force of the Treaty on Open Skies, which allows for unarmed observation flights over its participants.

| March 29, 2012

Mercedes’ new plant was inaugurated in Kecskemét, East Central Hungary, on Thursday in the presence of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Dr Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler AG. The day also saw the start of the production of the new B Class models.

| March 28, 2012

The 1992 doctoral thesis by current Hungarian President Pál Schmitt was found to have contained "duplications" on the works of other authors but it was not his fault but that of the university that accepted his dissertation.

| March 26, 2012

Budapest Week Publishing presented the most outstanding restaurants, hotels and vintners of the past year with the coveted Best of Budapest award during its Best of Budapest Gala 2012, one of the most exclusive events in the Hungarian capital.

Sándor Laczkó | March 26, 2012

In an interview published in the previous issue of Diplomacy and Trade, the Brazilian Ambassador to Hungary, Sergio Eduardo Moreira Lima says his objective is to enhance the diplomatic profile of Brazil and promote closer ties with Hungary.

| March 21, 2012

New investors and Chinese-owned companies that are already active in Hungary but in different sectors show interest and can enter the local car parts production scene, the business daily Napi Gazdaság reported on Wednesday.

| March 19, 2012

Albanian Premier Sali Berisha began an official visit to Budapest on Monday at the invitation of his Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orbán. The Hungarian Prime Minister stated that Hungary supported Albania's accession to the European Union.

| March 16, 2012

European Commission President José Manuel Barroso indirectly stated to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on March 16 that Orbán lacks understanding of what democracy is. Papers in Western Europe quote from Orbán’s anti-EU speech.

| March 14, 2012

Budapest Airport, the operator of the Liszt Ferenc International Airport, will be closing down Terminal 1, spokesman Mihály Hardy said. After the collapse of the country’s national carrier Malév, Terminal 2 is sufficient to manage the reduced traffic.

| March 13, 2012

European Union finance ministers adopted a Commission proposal to suspend Cohesion Fund commitments for Hungary from 2013, Margrethe Vestager, Danish Minister for Finance, told a press conference on Tuesday.

| March 6, 2012

The Hungarian Embassy in the Syrian capital, Damascus also provides political representation of Canada as of March 5, 2012. An agreement on this matter between Hungary and the North American country was concluded this Tuesday.

| March 2, 2012

Following an increase in the figures in January, the number of new passenger car registrations has grown in Hungary once again in annual terms in February, too, the financial website portfolio.hu quotes Datahouse data.

| February 21, 2012

The European Council will be recommended within days to have some of the cohesion fund commitments for Hungary suspended as of 1 January 2013, bruxinfo reported, citing well-informed sources in Brussels.

portfolio.hu | February 16, 2012

The European Parliament will draw up a report on whether EU laws and values are respected in Hungary. It will then decide whether to activate EU Treaty Article 7, which is used to investigate a clear risk of a serious breach of EU common values.

Karin Olofsdotter | February 15, 2012

The January issue of Diplomacy and Trade featured a Nordic Focus on the relations between the Scandinavian countries and Hungary. Here, you can read the piece that the Swedish Ambassador, Karin Olofsdotter contributed to the section.

Jari Vilén | February 14, 2012

The January issue of Diplomacy and Trade featured a Nordic Focus on the relations between the Scandinavian countries and Hungary. Here, you can read the piece that the Finnish Ambassador, Jari Vilén contributed to the section.

Sándor Laczkó | February 9, 2012

Denmark holds the rotating presidency of the Europeam Union in the first half of 2012. On this occasion, the January issue of Diplomacy and Trade featured an interview with the Danish Ambassador to Hungary, Mads Sandau-Jensen.

| February 7, 2012

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán held his annual speech on Tuesday, saying that Hungary now stands on new foundations, which he called an “irreversible fact”. Opposition parties dismissed his views as lies that are distant from reality.

Sándor Laczkó | February 1, 2012

Lynch atmosphere emerged in Guinea Bissau between government officials and a group of Hungarians who participated in a marathon rally between Budapest and West Africa. The dispute concerned the sale of rally cars to the locals.

| January 26, 2012

Australia Day, commemorating the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788 and the proclamation at that time of British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of New Holland, was celebrated this Thursday in Budapest.

| January 24, 2012

The world faces the “urgent challenge” of creating 600 million productive jobs over the next decade in order to generate sustainable growth and maintain social cohesion, says the 2012 annual report of the International Labor Organization.

Swinging Business

| May 14, 2012

A transport authority in Florida ordered another contingent of Hungarian buses from the NABI company, following an order last year. Another Hungarian bus manufacturing company, Kravtex unveiled its new model.

Rudolf Sárdi | May 7, 2012

Organizers and presenters of this annual series of events will focus on promoting Portuguese language as well as the literatures, the rich cultural heritages, and the visual and performing arts of Portuguese-speaking countries.

| May 7, 2012

The Polish ambassador to Hungary, Roman Kowalski welcomed guests, including members of the diplomatic community and businesspeople, at the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest to celebrate his country's Constitution Day.

| May 3, 2012

Budapest Airport has signed 5-year lease agreements with two of the surviving Malév subsidiaries, Malév Ground Handling and Aeroplex that carry on their service operations at the airport, serving their corporate partners.

| April 30, 2012

Former Hungarian international water polo player Ervin Zádor, made famous by a photo depicting him with bleeding head during the Hungarian-Soviet semifinal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, died at the age of 76 in the United States.

| April 25, 2012

American jazz clarinetist Joe Muranyi, of Hungarian descent, has died at the age of 84 in New York City. He played in Louis Armstrong’s All Stars group, as well as with many other jazz legends. He also performed in Hungary several times.

Charbel Stephan, Ambassador of Lebanon | April 21, 2012

The meeting of two civilizations is always an exciting moment – especially if, in spite of some similarities, the two cultures derive from two totally different historical, geographical, social, and religious backgrounds.

| April 20, 2012

In Geneva, Switzerland, Hungarian activists joined as the Hungarian Disability Caucus to highlight their urgent concerns regarding the respect by the Republic of Hungary of its obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabilities.

| April 17, 2012

The Hotel Le Méridien Budapest hosted the latest DT Club event where a constitutional expert spoke about the changes introduced by the current government. In the meantime, the news emerged that a new President is nominated.

Réka A. Francisck | April 13, 2012

This year marks the 130th birth anniversary of the Hungarian composer, folk music expert and educator Zoltán Kodály. He is best known internationally as the creator of the Kodály Method, a music teaching method used across the world.

Rudolf Sárdi | April 12, 2012

Few have realized that the countless faces of Brazil, occupying a territory almost as large as the United States, would still be shrouded in darkness had it not been for the emergence of civil aviation. Read on to discover more!

Réka A. Francisck | April 11, 2012

Hotel Thermenhof Paierl features a quiet and tranquil atmosphere, gourmet cuisine, top service and a private spa and wellness center with an impressive selection of services to restore and pamper guests at the highest level.

| March 24, 2012

The picture "Rendez-vous of Lovers" by 19-20th century Hungarian painter Tivadar Csontváry Kosztka - the painting sold at the highest price at Hungarian actions - has been stolen from an art collector, a Hungarian private individual.

Sándor Laczkó | March 23, 2012

On the occasion of this week's Hungary-Latin America Forum in Budapest, Jaime Gornsztejn of the Brazilian Development Bank gave an exclusive interview to Diplomacy & Trade about the business opportunities Brazilian firms look for in Hungary.

| March 22, 2012

The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters awarded the 2012 Abel Prize, called the "Nobel Prize of mathematics," to Hungarian-American scientist Endre Szemerédi who is specialized in the field of discrete mathematics.

| March 9, 2012

The chef of the Hungarian Embassy in Washington, D.C., Viktor Merényi won the Embassy Chef Challenge Grand Prix, a gastronomy competition for embassies in the American capital. The 2012 contest featured chefs from more than a dozen embassies.

Rudolf Sárdi | March 5, 2012

One enduring legacy that Danish storyteller and poet Hans Christian Andersen left to posterity is a partially clothed young woman, Den Lille Havfrue, the Little Mermaid. The story was published in the Nordic issue of Diplomacy & Trade.

| March 1, 2012

Sports clothing, which will be worn by the members of the Hungarian team at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, have been presented by models in Budapest. It took place during the traditional Travel exhibition at the Hungexpo Fair site.

Sándor Laczkó | February 29, 2012

The Diplomacy and Trade Business Club ('The Club') held its latest networking event at the Four Seasons Hotel in Budapest this Tuesday, presenting the latest issue of ‘Diplomacy and Trade’ that features a supplement on Brazil.

| February 27, 2012

18-year-old Hungarian Tímea Babos won the USD 220,000 Monterrey WTA hard court tournament in Mexico by beating Romanian Alexandra Cadantu in two straight sets, 6-4, 6-4. This victory was Babos’s first title on the WTA Tour.

Réka A. Francisck | February 24, 2012

Founded in 2004 by the Finnagora Foundation, which comprises oF Finnish cities, universities, companies and civil organizations, Finnagora in Budapest is one of the 17 cultural and science institutes of Finland. This is an institute literally designed for culture.

| February 23, 2012

Graeme Jonathan Knott presented his Letters of Credence to Pál Schmitt, the President of Hungary accrediting him as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom to Hungary on February 22 at the Sándor Palace.

Sándor Laczkó | February 22, 2012

Associated Press photographer Béla Szandelszky returned from revolt torn Egypt in early December, before that he was in Afghanistan and Libya close to a month – an article on his activity and philosophy apeared in Diplomacy & Trade.

Stefán Skjaldarson | February 20, 2012

The January issue of Diplomacy and Trade featured a Nordic Focus on the relations between the Scandinavian countries and Hungary. Here, you can read the piece that the Icelandic Ambassador, Stefán Skjaldarson contributed to the section.

Siri Ellen Sletner | February 17, 2012

Although, not neighbors, Norway and Hungary are close cooperation partners in the political, cultural and economic areas, and the Royal Norwegian Embassy’s main objective is to further strengthen the bilateral ties between our countries.

| February 13, 2012

Budapest Week Publishing held a special Diplomacy and Trade Business Club event to celebrate Valentine's Day in the Corinthia Hotel Budapest, attended by the managers of multinational companies, diplomats and their spouses.

| February 10, 2012

The former President of the Republic of Hungary, Árpád Göncz celebrates his 90th birthday this Friday. He was the translator of over a hundred literary works, and a writer before becoming the first President of the Third Republic.

Rudolf Sárdi | February 6, 2012

Sipping a glass of Ararat and watching over the stunning ranges of the Armenian mountain that gave this fine liquid its name can easily make any visitor become infatuated with the country that has carried an enormous psychological baggage from history.

| January 20, 2012

The Diplomacy and Trade Business Club ('The Club') held its latest networking event at the Hotel Kempinski Corvinus in Budapest, presenting the latest issue of ‘Diplomacy and Trade’ that features a supplement on the Nordic countries.

| January 13, 2012

Hungarian football (soccer) referee Viktor Kassai has been voted the world’s top football (soccer) referee in 2011 in a survey by the organization IFFHS, pushing previous year’s winner English Howard Webb to second place.

| January 4, 2012

EU executive José Manuel Barroso has called on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to ensure that the nation’s Central Bank remains independent despite a controversial reform that gives the government more control over the bank.