ISLAMABAD – Hungary has a strong desire to upgrade the economic partnershipwith Pakistan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary PeterSzijjarto said during his visit to the South Asian country on Friday.

Addressing Pakistan-Hungary Economic Diplomacy event in Islamabad, theHungarian minister said his country attaches special importance to thisregion because of cultural and historical similarities as well as thesecurity reasons.

“Hungary really values and respects the contributions that Pakistan hasbeen making to ensure security and stability of the region,” Mr Szijjartosaid as he commended the efforts undertaken by Pakistan to check the spreadof Covid-19.

In his remarks, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi expressed theconfidence that the visit of his Hungarian counterpart along with abusiness delegation would mark a new era in the bilateral economicrelationship. A Pakistani business delegation will also soon visit Hungary,he added.

Qureshi further said Pakistan is eager to have a detailed engagement withHungary at the experts’ level to benefit from its experiences in differentareas including agriculture, water resource management, environment andurban development solutions. “Pakistan is a huge market for the Hungariancompanies to expand their businesses. There is opportunity for Hungarianwaste management companies to invest in Pakistan,” he pointed out.

The Pakistani minister hoped the business community of both the countrieswould engage profitably with each other to bolster the bilateral trade.

Later, the businessmen from both sides signed a number of MOUs forcooperation in different fields, including agriculture, food, environment,water resources, engineering, vocational training and urban planning.