Prime Minister Andrus Ansip confirmed to his Hungarian counterpart that Estonia considers it very important to develop a common and strong EU internal energy market, for which good preconditions are created by the 3rd energy package. In the opinion of Ansip, the European Union must speak with one voice in the matters of foreign relations concerning energy. “For Estonia, it is important that the import of electricity from third states would be also regulated at the level of the Community,” Ansip said. Hungary also supports the objective of the European Commission to create a common energy policy. According to Prime Minister Ansip, we have very good relations in the area of culture and education, but unfortunately the same cannot be said about the economic relations between Estonia and Hungary. “I hope that today’s visit will also help to deepen economic relations,” Ansip said.
Last year Hungary ranked 18th on the list of Estonia’s commercial partners, comprising 1.3% of Estonian trade in goods. The total turnover of trade in EEK was BEEK 3.72. Exports accounted for BEEK 2.15 (14th place) and imports BEEK 1.57 (21st place). Last year Estonia invested MEEK 4.49 in Hungary and the position of Hungary’s direct investments in Estonia was MEEK 27.14.
Kinship plays an important place in the relations between Estonia and Hungary, which has created favorable grounds for intensifying their mutual relationship and continues to play an important role in their mutual communication as well as in common activities for supporting other Finno-Ugrian people in their striving towards the preservation and development of their identity. During the meeting, the proposal to create a data communication network between Finno-Ugrian universities was discussed. It is also planned to facilitate the exchange programs of students and professors, and to create new scholarships. Already today, Estonia and Hungary exchange teachers and students. Estonian language lecturers work in Budapest, Szombathely and Debrecen, while a Hungarian language lecturer works at the University of Tartu.
The government heads also discussed the theme of cultural relations between Estonia and Hungary. According to Prime Minister Ansip, culture has always played an important role in the relationship between Estonia and Hungary. Both parties have given their large contribution to the development of cultural relations. Since 1990, the Estonian-Hungarian Society has been active in Estonia. The Hungarians living in Estonia are united by the Munkácsy Mihály Cultural Federation of Hungarians in Estonia. The Hungarian Institute of Culture is also located in Tallinn. The Estonian Institute was opened in 1998 in Budapest. (egovmonitor.co)
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