Ambassador on Minsk-Budapest relations

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Hungary, Vladimir Ulakhovich, said the relations between Minsk and Budapest are of a positive friendly nature, sb.by reports with reference to the ONT TV channel

“If we are talking about the relationship at the level of ordinary citizens, the answer should be sought in the history of the development of the Hungarian and Belarusian nations, our peoples, because we are similar in that we have experienced very dramatic pages in our history. I think we have managed to maintain good relations in the difficult conditions, because the Hungarian government expresses the interests of the majority of its citizens at present. Meeting with many different people in Hungary, we feel a kind, good attitude towards Belarus,” the diplomat said.

Mr. Ulakhovich added that Belarus and Hungary can co-operate in the areas that are not affected by restrictions or sanctions: i.e. the agricultural sector, “Many Hungarian companies have been working in Belarus for about twenty years. Since this is outside the sanctions, it is possible to preserve pharmaceuticals. Of course, we would like to cover more spheres. Belarus completed its nuclear power plant project not long ago, and Hungary has been trying for a long time to be allowed to implement the so-called Paks II project. After all, its implementation will enable the country to cut the use of gas by 3.5bn cubic metres annually. It seems surprising that the European partners object. However, the right decision has been achieved eventually, and I want to say that our specialists have been involved in this project for more than one year. Other aspects also remain on our agenda: these are issues related to industry and the IT sector.”