CETA holdup ‘frustrates’ Hungary, says Szijjártó
kormany.hu/Gergely Botár
Hungary is “frustrated” by the holdup in the signing of the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjártó said in Canada yesterday, according to Hungarian news agency MTI.
“Who can we sign a trade agreement with if not Canada?” - Szijjártó was quoted as saying. “It would be in the clear interests of Hungary, the Hungarian economy and Hungarian enterprises for the free trade agreement between the European Union and Canada to be signed as soon as possible,” the government website kormany.hu quoted the minister as saying.
Szijjártó added that if CETA is successfully concluded, then the Hungarian automobile, pharmaceutical and food industries could gain significant ground on the Canadian market.
In Montreal to attend a commemoration of the 1956 Hungarian Uprising, Szijjártó noted that negotiations on the deal had stretched out over seven years, which should have been ample time to clear up any differences, MTI added.
Opposition to CETA by Belgiumʼs French-speaking Wallonia region is blocking the signing of the agreement.
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