Hungary and Turkey launch joint economic development programs in Africa.
The programs aim to improve living conditions on the ground and thus reduce migration pressure.
Speaking at the Hungarian-Turkish business forum “Go Africa,” Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said that Africa should be supported to help the continent keep pace with its population growth.
“We need to help locally so that the countries of the continent can channel their extraordinary resources into their own economy and improve living conditions to the point where staying at home is a realistic option for people,” he said.
The minister said Hungary had increased the number of its representatives in Africa to 16 in recent years, while the value of trade with the continent had risen to USD 1.5 billion. The Hungarian government had helped fight the epidemic by providing 2.6 million doses of coronavirus vaccine. Each year, 1 200 higher education scholarships are provided to African students in Hungary, and 2,336 African students are currently studying on scholarship programs.
As the minister pointed out, Hungary and Turkey’s Eximbank have signed a counter-insurance agreement to provide a USD 100 million credit line, enabling companies from both countries to provide coordinated financial support for projects in Africa. He said that a project expected to start in the summer will see Hungarian and Turkish companies jointly build oncology centers in Ghana.
Hungary’s Eximbank is already present in Africa with EUR 1.2 billion in financing, but is ready to provide further support to domestic firms, he said.
The value of Hungarian-Turkish trade turnover, up 15 percent last year, reached nearly USD 4 billion in 2021, the minister said.
Photo: facebook.com/szijjarto.peter.official
Source: hungarianinsider.com