HUNGARYFoundation stone laid for new wing of the

Institute for Blind Children

(Online 16 Jan) Thefoundation stone of anew wing of the LászlóBatthyány Institute forBlind Children, was laidin Budapest on Thurs-day.The institute, run by theHungarian CatholicCharity, will be sup-ported by the AzerbaijaniHeydar Aliyev Founda-tion. "This event opens anew chapter in Hungar-ian-Azerbaijani rela-tions", Hungary's StateSecreatry Péter Szijjártó

said at the ceremony.From now on, the devel-opment of Hungarian-Azerbaijani relations willbe motivated not only bymutual interests, but sol-idarity, friendship andcompassion, he added.Currently the institutehas 60 children under itscare. The new, five-storey wing will provideaccommodation and aworkplace for 30 youngadults who grew up inthe institute. The projectwill cost 500 million

forints (EUR 1.67m), ofwhich 240 million will becovered by the Azerbai-jani foundation. On be-half of the foundation,Ilgar Mustafayev saidthat the foundation hadbeen set up in 2004 topromote health, culturaland welfare projectsabroad. He added thatsupporting children, es-pecially those with dis-abilities, is one of theirpriorities.

Vi k t o r O r b á n m e e t s V l a d i m i rP u t i n i n M o s c o w

(Online 14 Jan) me Min-ister Viktor Orbán paid aworking visit to Moscowto hold talks with RussianPresident Vladimir Putinon Tuesday.The two parties ex-pressed their apprecia-tion for the advancementof bilateral relations inareas including the econ-omy and inter-parliamen-tary cooperation, addingthat a number of docu-ments prepared for sig-nature will contribute tothe further developmentof Hungarian-Russian re-lations.Viktor Orbán confirmedthat Russia is Hungary'smost important partneroutside the EuropeanUnion and noted that as

a result of earlier agree-ments, Hungarian-Russ-ian trade has developedat an unprecedentedrate. Today, a coopera-tion agreement was con-cluded between the twocountries on the peacefuluse of nuclear power.The document wassigned by Minister forNational DevelopmentZsuzsa Németh andSergey Kiriyenko, Presi-dent of the Russian StateNuclear Energy Corpora-tion Rosatom. Accordingto the agreement, Russiawill be involved in main-taining the current capac-ity of the Paks NuclearPower Plant by providinga loan to Hungary for theconstruction of two new

blocks to replace theplant's outdated ones.The agreement, asstated earlier by Govern-ment Spokesperson An-drás Giró-Szász, will nowgo before the NationalAssembly. Meanwhile inBudapest, Minister ofState heading the PrimeMinister's Office JánosLázár said that the Russ-ian loan for the EUR 10-12 billion investmentwould be provided for a30-year term, and thefirst new block would beput into commission in2023. He also stressedthat the power plant willremain Hungarian prop-erty.

Photo: Károly Árvai Photo: Zsolt Burger

Hungary signs joint air controlagreement with Slovenia

(Online 17 Jan) gary'sGripen fighters will joinair control operations inSlovenia in line with anagreement signed byHungarian Defence Min-ister Csaba Hende andhis Slovenian counter-part, Roman Jakic, at theair base of Kecskemét,on Friday.Italy has been fulfillingthis task alone, and oncethe agreement is ratified,Hungary's air force willjoin in controlling air-space for Slovenia, whichdoes not have the neces-sary capacities, MinisterHende stated after thesigning. Within NATO'salliance system, Hungaryhas fourth-generationfighter jets, which is anincreasingly importantcapability today, he em-

phasised, adding thatthese planes are suitablefor combatting interna-tional terrorism andaverting the threat of hi-jacked civilian aircraftsused as weapons. MrHende said that if allgoes according to plan,Hungary will also get in-volved in protecting theairspace of the Balticstates.When Slovenia joinedNATO in 2004, it opted toguarantee the security ofits airspace in coopera-tion with its allies ratherthan purchasing fighteraircraft, Slovenian Minis-ter Jakic noted. AfterKecskemét airport wasnotified of the take-off ofJakic's propeller-drivenplane from Ljubljana air-port, Hungary alerted its

air defence as an exer-cise. Two Gripens "inter-cepted" the Slovenianaircraft above westernHungary and escorted itto Kecskemet so as todemonstrate their capa-bility for the missionspecified in the agree-ment. Hungary andSlovenia originally struckan agreement on cooper-ation in airspace controlin 1996. Accordingly, un-armed military aircrafthave been allowed toenter each other's air-space if a permit is re-quested a week inadvance and a notifica-tion about the actualflight is sent 24 hours inadvance. These restric-tions will be lifted oncethe ratification of the newagreement is completed.

Photo: MTI, Sándor Ujvári

H u n g a r i a n - G e r m a n a g r i c u l t u r a lt u r n o v e r e x p a n d i n g d y n a m i c a l l y

(Online 17 Jan) Hungar-ian-German agriculturalturnover is expanding dy-namically; last year, ex-ports exceeded onebillion euros, accordingto preliminary figures,Minister of State for FoodChain Supervision andAgricultural EconomyEndre Kardeván toldHungarian news agencyMTI on Friday in Berlin atInternational GreenWeek, the world's largestagricultural expo.1650 exhibitors, the high-est number in 15 years,arrived at this year'sexpo, which opened onFriday; 70 countries arebeing represented, whichis a record for the 88-year history of the event.400 thousand people areexpected to visit the exhi-bition, which closes on26 January. This is the44th time that Hungaryhas taken part at Interna-tional Green Week (Inter-nationale Grüne Woche);14 exhibitors are show-casing the products of atotal of 22 Hungarian en-terprises through theAgricultural MarketingCentre.Hungary is being repre-sented by premium qual-ity products such asartisan wines, spices,marzipan desserts, wildgame and mangalitsapork products. It is theturnover in these highadded value productsthat are produced from

natural ingredients,which we must primarilyincreases, Endre Karde-ván said. The Minister ofState stressed that Ger-many is also Hungary'smost important economicpartner with regard toagricultural trade. Ex-ports have increasedmarkedly over the pastthree years, while im-ports have remained rel-atively stable, leading toa ten-year record highpositive agrarian import-export balance with Ger-many according toestimates, Mr. Kardevánsaid.The Berlin expo is alsoan important forum foragricultural diplomacy.Minister of State Karde-ván met with the newGerman government'sMinister for Food andAgriculture Hans-PeterFriedrich. The CSU politi-cian was Minister of Inte-rior in the previousgovernment, has experi-ence of Hungary, and therepresentative of theHungarian Governmentwas one of the first guesthe received at the expo.Endre Kardeván, whoalso held bilateral talkswith ministers of agricul-ture from Holland,Poland, Russia andGeorgia, said he viewsthis as an excellent sign.The Global Forum forFood and Agriculture(GFFA), a summit for theworld's agriculture minis-

ters, is being organisedfor the sixth time alongthe sidelines of Interna-tional Green Week thisyear. The main topic ofthis year's Forum is foodsecurity, which is a hugechallenge for every coun-try in view of the fact thatfood production must beincreased by some 60percent of the next fiftyyears to prevent foodscarcity, Mr. Kardevánsaid.According to Hungary'sstandpoint, the primaryanswers to the challengeare the development offamily farms and promot-ing the distributing andconsumption of localproducts, which makesfood more affordable byreducing transport costs.This perspective isshared by both Hungaryand Germany, the Minis-ter of State said, empha-sising that the UN's Foodand Agriculture Organi-sation (FAO) had made2014 the Year of FamilyFarming, within theframework of which oneof the largest events, theGlobal Forum and Exhibi-tion on Family Farming,will be held in Budapestfrom March 4-7 with theinvolvement of the Gov-ernment. All participantsof this year's Berlin agri-culture ministers' summithave been invited to at-tend the high-level con-ference, Minister of StateKardeván said.

Forum on supporting the career ofwomen in science

(Online 16 Jan) Issuessuch as supporting thecareer of women in thefields of science andstimulating the re-searcher career of girlswere discussed at around table conferenceorganized by the Ministryfor National Economy,the National InnovationOffice and the Associa-tion of HungarianWomen in Science.Minister of State for Eco-nomic Strategy ZoltánCséfalvay, the host ofthe event, said that theEuropean Union’s objec-tive is to increase thenumber of researchers

within the EU by 1 millionuntil 2020, which theybelieve is achievablethrough, among others,programmes aiming tofacilitate the employmentof women in this field.At the round table con-ference, a partnershipagreement between theAssociation of HungarianWomen in Science andthe National InnovationOffice was signed inwhich the two partiesagree that in the period2014-2020 they will co-operate on launchingand facilitating social in-novation processeswhich promote the equal

opportunity of womenwith regard to researchand development as wellas innovation.Participants of the eventexpressed their commonstandpoint that estab-lishing and supportingthe career of woman re-searchers is a multi-lay-ered task.Zoltán Cséfalvaystressed that it is impor-tant to present positiveexamples, as they mayserve as role model foryoung people and showhow along with having afamily a successful re-searcher career is vi-able.

Epiphany- 19 Jan Ethiopia, Georgia

In the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, the feast is known as Timkatand is celebrated on the day that the Gregorian calendar calls Jan-uary 19, but on January 20 in years when Enkutatash in theEthiopian calendar falls on Gregorian September 12 (i.e. when thefollowing February in the Gregorian calendar will have 29 days).The celebration of this feast features blessing of water and solemnprocessions with the sacred Tabot.

Day of the MartyrsAzerbaijan - J a n 2 0

January 20 in Azerbaijan commemorates Black January in 1990,when Soviet troops entered the city of Baku and killed more than180 civilians. It is celebrated as the rebirth of the Republic ofAzerbaijan. It is also a remembrance of the victims of theNagorno-Karabakh War in 1988. This day in Azerbaijan is alsoknown as Qara Yanvar (Day of National Mourning), Day of She-hids, or Remembrance Day.

HistoryBlack January was a retaliation of the Soviet Army in the city ofBaku against demands of independence from Armenians. Aseven day pogrom—a riot against a particular race, religion ornationality—started in Baku, Azerbaijan on January 13, 1990. Upto 66 Armenians were killed by beating or knife wound in focusedindividual attacks. Most of them were part of the Azerbaijani Pop-ular Front that demanded independence from the Soviet Union. Their houses were set on fire, and the local Sovietauthorities did nothing to stop the attacking forces.Late at night, on January 19, over 26,000 Soviet troops entered Baku with the objective of crushing the PopularFront. They attacked protesters and shot at the crowds for three days. In the end, 93 Azerbaijanis and 29 Russiansoldiers were killed. On January 22, the population of Baku came to the streets to bury the dead, and for 40 daysthey did not work in a protest of mourning.Citizens also remember the events of the Nagorno-Karabakh War, an armed conflict that took place from February1988 to May 1994 in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan, between Armenians and Azerbaijanis. The parliament ofNagorno-Karabakh wanted to unite with Azerbaijan, and the majority of Armenians was in favor of independence.Inter-ethnic fighting ensued for years as both sides tried to eliminate each other from Nagorno-Karabakh and thesurrounding mountains. Even today, the situation isn’t completely settled since the cease fire in 1994. Inflammatoryaccusations from both sides seem to still be triggering small conflicts in the zone.

CelebrationsOn Martyrs Day in the Azerbaijan Republic the entire government, from the president and prime minister to membersof the cabinet and leaders of the parliament, are joined by church officials to gather at the Azerbaijani Genocide Me-morial in Baku. In a solemn procession they place flower wreaths at the memorial to commemorate those who diedin 1990 during Black January.All over the world in Azerbaijani embassies and private communities, the events of Black January and the Nagorno-Karabakh War are recognized. Azerbaijanis regard this day as a day to rekindle their patriotism and celebrate theirnational history and identity as the country struggles to gain peace and economic stability.

Army DayLaos - J a n 2 0

This celebrates the founding of the Lao People's Army in 1949 by Kaysone Phomvihane in the former revolutionarystronghold of Huaphan province.

Inauguration DayU.S. - J a n 2 0

The inauguration of the president of the United Statestakes place during the commencement of a new termof a president of the United States, which is every fouryears on January 20. Prior to the Twentieth Amend-ment, the date was March 4, the day of the year onwhich the Constitution of the United States first took ef-fect in 1789; the last inauguration to take place on theolder date was Franklin D. Roosevelt's first one onMarch 4, 1933. The day a presidential inauguration oc-curs is known as "Inauguration Day".The only inauguration element mandated by the UnitedStates Constitution is that the president make an oathor affirmation before that person can "enter on the Ex-ecution" of the office of the presidency. However, overthe years, various traditions have arisen that have ex-panded the inauguration from a simple oath-taking cer-emony to a day-long event, including parades, speeches, and balls.From the presidency of Andrew Jackson through that of Jimmy Carter, the primary Inauguration Day ceremony tookplace on the Capitol's East Portico. Since the 1981 inauguration of Ronald Reagan, the ceremony has been held atthe Capitol's West Front. The inaugurations of William Howard Taft in 1909 and Reagan in 1985 were moved indoorsat the Capitol due to cold weather. The War of 1812 and World War II caused two inaugurations to be held at otherlocations in Washington, D.C.Since Chief Justice Oliver Ellsworth swore in President John Adams, no chief justice has missed an InaugurationDay. When Inauguration Day has fallen on a Sunday, the chief justice has administered the oath to the president ei-ther on inauguration day itself or on the Sunday privately and the following Monday publicly. The next scheduledpublic presidential inauguration ceremony, swearing-in Barack Obama to begin his second four-year term in office,will take place on Monday, January 21, 2013. The President will make a private oath of office on Sunday, January20.

National Heroes Day - Jan 20Guinea Bissau, Cape Verde IslandsAmílcar Lopes da Costa Cabral (12 September 1924 – 20 January 1973)was a Guinea-Bissauan and Cape Verdean agricultural engineer, writer,and a nationalist thinker and politician. Also known by his nom de guerreAbel Djassi, Cabral led the nationalist movement of Guinea-Bissau andCape Verde Islands and the ensuing war of independence in Guinea-Bis-sau. He was assassinated on 20 January 1973, about 8 months beforeGuinea-Bissau's unilateral declaration of independence. While he was in-fluenced by Marxism, he was not a Marxist.

Early yearsHe was born on September 12, 1924 in Bafatá, Guinea-Bissau, son ofCape Verdean father, Juvenal Lopes da Costa Cabral and Bissau-Guineanmother Iva Pinhel Évora. Cabral was educated at Liceu (SecondarySchool) Gil Eanes in the town of Mindelo, Cape Verde, and later at the In-stituto Superior de Agronomia, in Lisbon (the capital of Portugal, whichwas then the colonial power ruling overGuinea-Bissau and Cape Verde).While an Agronomy student in Lisbon, he founded student movementsdedicated to opposing the ruling dictatorship of Portugal and promotingthe cause of liberation of the Portuguese colonies in Africa.He returned to Africa in the 1950s, and was instrumental in promoting theindependence causes of the then Portuguese colonies. He was thefounder (in 1956) of the PAIGC or Partido Africano da Independência daGuiné e Cabo Verde (Portuguese for African Party for the Independenceof Guinea and Cape Verde) and one of the founders of Movimento PopularLibertação de Angola (MPLA) (later in the same year), together withAgostinho Neto, whom he met in Portugal, and other Angolan nationalists.

War for independenceFrom 1963 to his assassination in 1973, Cabral led the PAIGC'sguerrilla movement (in Portuguese Guinea) against the Por-tuguese regime, which evolved into one of the most successfulwars of independence in African history. The goal of the conflictwas to attain independence for both Portuguese Guinea andCape Verde. Over the course of the conflict, as the movementcaptured territory from the Portuguese, Cabral became the defacto leader of a large portion of what became Guinea-Bissau.In preparation for the liberation war, Cabral set up training campsin neighboring Ghana with the permission of Kwame Nkrumah.Cabral trained his lieutenants through various techniques, includ-ing mock conversations to provide them with effective communi-cation skills that would aid their efforts to mobilize Guinean tribal chiefs to support the PAIGC.Amílcar Cabral soon realized that the war effort could be sustained only if his troops could be fed and taught to liveoff the land alongside the larger populace. Being an agronomist, he taught his troops to teach local crop growersbetter farming techniques, so that they could increase productivity and be able to feed their own family and tribe, aswell as the soldiers enlisted in the PAIGC's military wing. When not fighting, PAIGC soldiers would till and plow thefields alongside the local population.Cabral and the PAIGC also set up a trade-and-barter bazaar sys-tem that moved around the country and made staple goods avail-able to the countryside at prices lower than that of colonial storeowners. During the war, Cabral also set up a roving hospital andtriage station to give medical care to wounded PAIGC's soldiersand quality-of-life care to the larger populace, relying on medicalsupplies garnered from the USSR and Sweden. The bazaars andtriage stations were at first stationary until they came under fre-quent attack from Portuguese regime forces.In 1972, Cabral began to form a People's Assembly in preparationfor the birth of an independent African nation, but disgruntled for-mer PAIGC rival Inocêncio Kani, with the help of Portugueseagents operating within the PAIGC, shot and killed him before hecould complete his project. The Portuguese regime's plan, which eventually went awry, was to enjoin the help of thisformer rival to arrest Amílcar Cabral and place him under the custody of Portuguese authorities. The assassinationtook place on 20 January 1973 inConakry, Guinea. His half-brother, Luís Cabral, became the leader of the Guinea-Bissau branch of the party and would eventually become President of Guinea-Bissau.More than a guerrilla leader, Cabral was highly regarded internationally as one of the most prominent African thinkersof the 20th century and for his intellectual contributions aimed at formulating a coherent cultural, philosophical andhistorical theoretical framework to justify and explain independence movements. This is reflected in his various writ-ings and public interventions.

Tributes...one of the most lucid and brilliant leaders in Africa, Comrade Amílcar Cabral, who instilled in us tremen-dous confidence in the future and the success of his struggle for liberation.”— Fidel Castro, 1966 Tricontinental Conference in Havana, Cuba Cabral is considered a "revolutionary theoretician as significant as Frantz Fanon and Che Guevara", whose influencereverberated far beyond the African continent. Amílcar Cabral International Airport, Cape Verde's principal interna-tional airport at Sal, is named in his honor. There is also a football competition, the Amílcar Cabral Cup, in zone 2,named as a tribute to him. In addition, the only privately owned university in Guinea-Bissau is named after him—Amílcar Cabral University—and is in Bissau. Jorge Peixinho composed an elegyto Cabral in 1973.

Errol Barrow DayBarbados - J a n 2 1

Errol Barrow Day is a Barbadian public holiday celebrated on 21 January,to commemorate the former Prime Minister of Barbados, who helped leadhis country to independence from the United Kingdom. The date is thesecond public holiday of the calendar year and is the date of birth for theformer leader.Errol Barrow died suddenly in 1987, and in 1989 his birthday was de-clared as the first public holiday to honour him. On that date, his portraitwas placed on the new Barbadian $50 dollar note and the middle sectionof the Airport-West Coast Highway was officially named after him. Sub-sequently, he was further declared as one of Barbados' original NationalHeroes in 1998.

Feast of our Lady of AltagraciaDominican Republic - J a n 2 1

Día de la Altagracia, or Altagracia Day, is a day commemorating "Our Lady of Altagracia", patronal image (there isdebate on this) and protector of the people of theDominican Republic. It is a feast day and annual public holiday onJanuary 21. "Our Lady of Altagracia" is a portrait of the Virgin Mary painted in the 16th century. The portrait is keptin The Basilica of Our Lady of Altagracia in the city of Salvaleón in Higuey.The festival was originally held on August 15, but was moved to January 21 to celebrate victory over the French in1690.

Commemoration Birthday ofG.F. Croes

Aruba - J a n 2 5Gilberto François "Betico" Croes (January 25, 1938 - November 26, 1986) wasanAruban political activist who was a proponent of Aruba's separation from therest of theNetherlands Antilles. This eventually occurred, but Croes lapsed into acoma after an accident on 31 December 1985 (the night of status aparte) andwas never conscious to see his accomplishment. He is called the father of theAruban nation.The accident he suffered was questioned by many for years since a car was seenleaving the area after the accident. This conspiracy theory was never proven.He was the leader of the political party People's Electoral Movement (MovimientoElectoral di Pueblo) and in 1976 was the person responsible for the Seal, Flagand Hymn of the island of Aruba. The hymn was co-written by renowned PaduDel Caribe (Padu Lampe), and Rufo Wever, who also composed the anthem. Hewas also responsible for the referendum held March 1977, for Aruba's independ-ence, which obtained 83% of the votes in favor of independence.Betico Croes also was responsible for formally setting Aruba’s Independence Datefor 1991, at the Round Table Conference in February 1981, But at the RoundTable Conference in March 1983 the date for Aruba’s Independence waschanged from 1991, and set in two stages/steps: the first stage/step:Aruba’s Independence from the Netherlands Antilles was set for 1986,and for ten years later, the second stage/step: Aruba’s Independencefrom the Netherlands, for 1996! At Betico’s arrival in Aruba, after the RTC,he was received with total approval and joy by the people. He is also re-sponsible for the fact that in August 1985: Aruba’s Constitution and its In-dependence first from the Netherlands Antilles, and then from theNetherlands, as agreed in March 1983, in Aruba’s Decolonization and In-dependence Agreement, is unanimously approved by all political partiesin Aruba.In the 1980s he also said that Aruba should target tourism in order to di-versify the economy since it depended mainly on the refinery.He also was responsible for major projects for the people of Aruba like F.C.C.A., Arubus, Sasaki Plan (he envisionedthe area destined for hotels) and many more.Aruba's official Holiday to remember him has been marked on January 25, his birth date.Caya G. F. Betico Croes is named after him and is the main shopping street of Oranjestad, Aruba.Has 2 sons, Glenbert and Junior Croes and 2 daughters Lalo Saladin-Croes and Guisette Croes.

St. Tatiana DayRussia - J a n 2 5

Tatiana Day (Russian: Татьянин день, Tatyanin den' ) is a Russian reli-gious holiday observed on January 25 according to the Gregorian calen-dar, January 12 according to the Julian. It is named after Saint Tatiana,a Christian martyr in 3rd century Rome during thereign of EmperorAlexander Severus.In 1755 on the name day of Ivan Shuvalov's mother Tatiana Rodionovna,his mistress Empress Elizabeth of Russia endorsed his petition to estab-lish a university in Moscow. The church of Saint Tatiana was later built inthe university campus, the Russian Orthodox Church declared Saint Ta-tiana the patron saint of students, and Tatiana Day has become cele-brated as Russian Students Day.

Burns NightScotland - J a n 2 5

A Burns supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of the poet RobertBurns, author of many Scots poems. The suppers are normally held onor near the poet's birthday, 25 January, sometimes also known as RobertBurns Day or Burns Night, although they may in principle be held at anytime of the year.Burns' suppers are most common in Scotland and Northern Ireland butoccur wherever there are Burns Clubs, Scottish Societies, expatriateScots, or aficionados of Burns' poetry. There is a particularly strong tra-dition of them in southern New Zealand's main city Dunedin, of whichBurns' nephew Thomas Burns was a founding father.The first suppers were held in Ayrshire at the end of the 18th century byRobert Burns' friends on the anniversary of his death, 21 July, In Memoriam and they have been a regular occurrenceever since. The first Burns club, known as The Mother Club, was founded in Greenock in 1801 by merchants bornin Ayrshire, some of whom had known Burns. They held the first Burns supper on what they thought was his birthdayon 29 January 1802, but in 1803 discovered from the Ayr parish records that the correct date was 25 January 1759,and since then suppers have been held on 25 January, Burns' birthday.Burns suppers may be formal or informal. Both typically include haggis (a traditional Scottish dish celebrated byBurns in Address to a Haggis), Scotch whisky and the recitation of Burns' poetry. Formal dinners are hosted by or-ganisations such as Burns clubs, the Freemasons or St Andrews Societies and occasionally end with dancing whenladies are present.

Paks project not a business venturebut an inter-governmental agreement

(Online 16 Jan) Accord-ing to the Minister ofState heading the PrimeMinister ’s Office, theGovernment will discussthe Russian-Hungarian

agreement on maintain-ing the capacity of thePaks nuclear power plantnext week. The intentionis to keep it the cheapestsource of electricity inthe coming decades and

to increase Hungary'senergy independence.At a press briefing heldon Thursday, the Ministerof State stressed that theDirectorate-General forEnergy of the EuropeanCommission did not takea stand either for oragainst the agreement. InNovember 2013, Mr.Lázár visited the organi-sation in Brussels, andbriefed Energy Commis-sioner Günther Oettingeron the Government'splans to sign an agree-ment with Russia.A copy of the draft con-tract was sent to the EUand Brussels officiallynotified the Hungarian

Government that it heldno objections. Neverthe-less, a working group willbe set up to facilitate co-operation with the EU'senergy directorate, the

Minister of State said.It was underlined thatRosatom, while undertak-ing the project worthEUR 10-12 billion, mustalso conform to Hungar-ian and EU regulations,

including procurementlaws.With regard to the loan tofinance the project, theMinister of State said itwas offered for a 30-yearterm and at an interestrate lower than the aver-age market rate ofaround 5.6 percent. Hun-gary is signing a gooddeal, he insisted, addingthat it will help turn thecountry into one of themost competitiveeconomies in Europe.The Hungarian centralbudget will be able to fi-nance the loan, he said,adding that the loan con-struction would not alterthe debt curve. The cost

of the loan would not bebuilt into Hungarian elec-tricity prices, he added.The share of Hungarianfirms in the project will beat least 40 percent, gen-

erating at least EUR 3billion in commissions forthe domestic businesssector and 1 billion in taxrevenue, he said.He emphasised at thebriefing that the project is

not a business venturebut an inter-governmen-tal agreement.The new reactors will bebuilt at a good price,János Lázár said, addingthat every step of theprocedure will be putthrough a tender onceRosatom begins con-struction. The blocksshould begin operatingwithin ten years, he said,adding that even afterthe project has beencompleted, half of Hun-gary's electricity con-sumption will come fromimports or renewable en-ergy sources.

Photo: Gergely Botár

Photo: Gergely Botár

Photo: Gergely Botár

2 0 1 4 a t r a n s i t i o n a l y e a r f o r t h ea g r i c u l t u r e f u n d i n g s y s t e m

(Online 16 Jan) Some 725billion forints (EUR 2.4bn)are available this year tofund the Hungarian agricul-tural economy, but this isonly a transitional year, asthe principles regarding thedistribution of funding willchange in 2015, the Ministryof Rural Development'sDeputy State Secretary forAgricultural Economy saidon Thursday in Keszthely.Zsolt Feldman was speak-ing at a potato sector forumorganised by the Agricul-tural Science Department ofPannon University, wherehe explained that Hungarywould be receiving 8.8 bil-lion euros in direct fundingfrom the European Unionand 3.4 million euros via theEuropean Agriculture Fundfor Rural Development(EAFRD) until 2020. EarlierHungarian agriculture andrural development pro-grammes have come to aclose with the closing of theEU financial year in 2013.Since the EU only finalisedits Common AgriculturalPolicy at the end of lastyear, the development ofdomestic funding principleswill also only be completedthis year and will come intoforce next year, the DeputyState Secretary added.In this transitional year,area-based subsidies willremain the most prominentaspect of funding, and willbe equivalent to 227 eurosor 68 thousand forints perhectare. Special sectoralfunding, for rice and milkproducers or for the restruc-turing of fruit and vegetableand tobacco production, forexample, will also continueto be distributed this year,but will close at the end of2014.A Hungarian budget of 725

billion forints (EUR 2.4bn) isavailable through the Min-istry of Rural Developmentfor agricultural and rural de-velopment funding Hungarythis year, of which around560 billion forints is directEuropean Union fundingand the remainder is de-rived from the nationalbudget. Hungary must com-plete the development ofthe funding system that willbe valid from next year bythis August, the DeputyState Secretary indicated.Of the major changes to beexpected within the newsystem that will come intoforce from 2015, Mr. Feld-man highlighted the fact that30 percent of monies maybe applied providing envi-ronmental conditions aremet. Extra funding will be-come available to youngfarmers, but Hungary will beunable to make full use ofthe funds available, be-cause only around 9000farmers are eligible to re-ceive such funding, he said.Small farms may receivesimplified funding beginningnext year and will be able tochoose between maximumannual funding of 1250euros with simpler adminis-tration, or to stick with thenormal funding system.Funding for large farms inexcess of 150 thousandeuros must be reduced by aminimum of 5 percent, butthese reductions may be off-set through certifying thepayment of wages and re-lated contributions.The Deputy State Secretaryalso indicated that Hungarywould also be receivingEUR 3.4bn via the Euro-pean Agriculture Fund forRural Development duringthe 7-year financial perioduntil 2020. A positive

change with regard to thepossible application of thesefunds is that the payment ofVAT may also be sub-sidised.In his lecture, Zsolt Feldmanalso mentioned the effortsmade to renew the Hungar-ian agricultural researchsystem, pointing out thatover the past year 9 agricul-tural research instituteshave returned to the controlof the Ministry of Rural De-velopment from the NationalAsset Management com-pany, and the National Agri-cultural Research andInnovation Centre, withheadquarters in Gödöllő,had been established on 1January through the amal-gamation of several of theMinistries former back-ground institutions. The ob-jective was theestablishment of a researchnetwork with a unified struc-ture that is capable of react-ing to professionalrequirements and with timemay develop to become in-ternationally significant, andwhich is operate throughtask financing, he ex-plained.Four research centres, inÚjfehértó, Szeged,Kecskemét and Mosonmag-yaróvár, will continue to op-erate as independentorganisations, he added.The Deputy State Secretaryalso mentioned the fact thatin the case of several re-search institutes that oper-ate within the framework ofhigher education, the Min-istry of Rural Developmentwas working on the devel-opment of professional inte-gration together with theMinistry of Human Re-sources.

Zoltán pushes for ful l closure ofhortobágy dangerous waste facil i ty(Online 16 Jan) Ministryof Rural Development'sMinister of State for En-vironmental AffairsZoltán Illés is calling onthe Government to es-tablish a HUF 350 millionfund to finance the totalelimination of the Horto-bágy dangerous wastestorage facility.Mr. Illés made the an-nouncement on Wednes-day inB a l m a z ú j v á r o s - L á s -zlóháza, after viewingthe facility used to storetwo thousand tons ofdangerous waste, and atwhich the situation hasbecome difficult in recentweeks after metalthieves gained entranceto the facility.The Minister of Statealso announced that dur-ing the next term hewould initiate the estab-lishment of a 3-4 billionforint (EUR 10-13 mil-lion) waste pollutioneradication fund for thelocalisation of the coun-try's 150-300 known pol-luted areas and thebeginning of remediationwork.Mr. Illés expressed hisacknowledgement for theefforts of the Trans-Tisza

Environmental Protec-tion, Conservation andWater Inspectorate forthe work it has per-formed over the past fewdays at the dangerouswaste storage facility lo-cated on the outskirts ofB a l m a z ú j v á r o s - L á s -zlóháza.In accordance with hisexpert advice, the In-spectorate has repairedthe facility's damagedfence, organised 24-hoursecurity for the site andhas put the displacedwaste into barrels;everything is once againin order at the site, heexplained.Director of the Trans-Tisza EnvironmentalProtection, Conservationand Water InspectorateBéla Kelemen confirmedthat, based on the test-ing of samples takenfrom monitoring wellssurrounding the site andother locations, the levelof pollution does not re-quire emergency dam-age remediation.In reply to a questionfrom Hungarian newsagency MTI, both ZoltánIllés and Béla Kelemenexpressly stated thatthere is no danger to the

soil, water stocks, air orthe neighbouring Horto-bágy National Park. Mr.Illés thanked FideszMayor of BalmazújvárosIstván Tiba for his help inproviding 24-hour secu-rity for the site. Mr. Tibasaid that his local au-thority had providedthree security guards,shelter and a mobile toi-let in the interests of se-curing the site.The Mayor of Bal-mazújváros welcomedthe Minister of State'sannouncement accord-ing to which a proposalfor the total eliminationof the facility would beprepared in time for acabinet meeting on 22February. "It will be acomfort to all if the sitedisappears from the Hor-tobágy plain", Mr. Tibaadded.An MTI reporter presentat the site on Wednes-day said that not onlyhad the site's fence beenrepaired, but the mainstorage unit had alsobeen covered in a coatof strong plastic sheetingto prevent the wind fromblowing away the pow-dered waste.

Hungary aims to broker the best f i -nancial deal possible: Mihály Varga(Online 16 Jan) Govern-ment aspires to concludea financial agreementwhich is the mostfavourable for the coun-try: negotiations on fi-nancial issues regardingthe construction of thetwo new nuclear blocksfor the Paks power plantare still ongoing, Ministerfor National EconomyMihály Varga said onMagyarország élőben(Hungary live) pro-gramme of HírTV.He added that the Russ-ian partner providesEUR 10bn for the projectand Hungary will beginrepaying the loan over aperiod of 21 years afterthe project has beencompleted and the planthas been put in opera-tion.In the opinion of MihályVarga, such credit facili-ties are exceptional, as10-year or 15-year loansare usual in internationalfinance. “That is why weneeded the Russianpartner to finance theproject,” he said. TheMinister for Nationaleconomy believes that agood deal will be con-cluded. Russia is to pay80 percent of construc-tion costs, while Hungarywill foot 20 percent of thebill.The Minister emphasisedthat 40 percent of the en-tire funding, some EUR3-4bn, will go to Hungar-ian enterprises and at

least EUR 1bn will bechannelled to the statebudget as tax and contri-bution payments.Mihály Varga stressedthat the two new blocksat Paks will producecheap electricity in asafe and profitable way.Responding to a ques-tion concerning the inter-est payable for the30-year loan of HUF3000bn provided by Rus-sia the Minister said thatno final agreement isreached yet and they arepushing hard to achievethe lowest possible inter-est rate. Mihály Vargasaid that as soon as theinvestment project isstarted it will boost eco-nomic performance – inlight of current calcula-tions -- by some tens ofa percentage point ofGDP. Several thousandsof people are expectedto work on the construc-tion of the two blocksand thus the project willalso have a positive im-pact on employment.And the entire economywins as the price of elec-tricity decreases afterthe two new blocks arelaunched, he added.He pointed out that itwould not have beenpossible to get a betterdeal even through a pub-lic procurement process.When asked whether thelack of public procure-ment might or might not“provoke a response”

from the EU commis-sioner for competitive-ness the Minister saidthat negotiations hadbeen conducted withBrussels and no objec-tions were raised. Incase the project was fi-nanced by Brussels orthrough the market,some competitivenessissues could arise, butthis deal is between twosovereigns. Hungary hasthe right to secure fi-nancing without a tenderfor the construction ofthe blocks of the nuclearpower plant in case it isthrough a bilateralagreement.The Minister called thecommissioning of theRussia-based Rosatom alogical step also in lightof the fact that the fourexisting Russian-builtblocks of the Paks nu-clear plant have beenworking in a reliable andlow-cost way.Mihály Varga alsopointed out that alongwith renewable energiesin the long term Hungaryplans to meet energy de-mand through fossil fuelsand atomic energy.However, he deniedmedia allegations thatnegotiations on conclud-ing the current agree-ment may hinge on thelong-term gas transportcontract which expires in2015.

New EU environment action pro-gramme launched

(Online 15 Jan) At theend of last year, the Eu-ropean Council and theEuropean Parliamentsigned the EuropeanUnion's new, 7th Envi-ronment Action Pro-gramme, which will comeinto effect in January;the Programme deter-mines the EUs main en-vironment and climateobjectives until 2020.The adoption of the pro-gramme was precededby a long process of ne-gotiations between mem-ber states, the Counciland the European Parlia-ment.The European Union's7th Environment ActionProgramme, which is en-titled "Living well, withinthe limits of our planet",is built around nine prior-ity objectives.The first three objectivesset out thematic priori-ties: the protection,preservation and devel-opment of the EUs natu-ral assets, theestablishment of a re-source-efficient, greenand competitive EU

economy, and the pro-tection of EU citizensfrom environment-re-lated burdens and risksthat endanger theirhealth and welfare.The next four objectivesdescribe a frameworksystem to support the re-alisation of the above-mentioned priorities.These are: the fullestpossible exploitation ofthe advantages of EUenvironmental regula-tions and the improve-ment ofimplementations, in-creasing the knowledgeand scientific base of EUenvironmental policy,providing the conditionsrequired for investmentprojects relating to envi-ronmental and climatepolicy and the manage-ment of environmentalexternals, and the inte-gration of environmentalprotection into sectoralpolicy.The final two objectivesassure the meeting oflocal, regional and globalchallenges. These areimproving the sustain-

ability of cities within theEuropean Union and themore efficient EU han-dling of challenges re-lated to the internationalenvironment and cli-mate. In addition to de-scribing the current stateof affairs, the objectivealso determines tasksand instruments for theeach area.The new Programme re-lies on the EU forty yearsof past experience in en-vironmental policy andon the currently validstrategic initiatives suchas the Resource Effi-ciency Roadmap, the EUBiodiversity Strategyuntil 2020 and theschedule for achieving alow carbon dioxide emis-sion, competitive econ-omy by 2050. The newProgramme provides acommon ground for EUinstitutions, memberstates, region and localpublic administration andsocial and private sectoroperators with relation toenvironmental protectiontasks until 2020.

Hungarian healthcare and socialworkers’ unions meet Government

(Online 15 Jan) Hungar-ian Government officialsheld talks with represen-tatives of the Healthcareand Social Workers’Union (MSZ EDDSZ) onWednesday and re-viewed Governmentmeasures versus theunion’s demands.Attila Fülöp, Deputy Min-ister of State for Familiesand Equal Opportunitiessaid the conclusion wasthat the sides’ objectivesare not very different, butunion representativesalso listed their demandswhich will be discussedat later meetings amongthe same participants.He said that at futuremeetings they will alsotake into account therecommendations of theworking group that hasbeen tasked with creat-ing blueprints for a socialworkers’ career model,which group will hold its

first meeting on Friday,17 January. Fülöp saidthe Government wants tonegotiate a packagewhich would significantlyimprove social workers’conditions.MSZ EDDSZ PresidentÁgnes Cser said afterWednesday’s meetingthat after a period duringwhich four Socialist-Lib-eral governments had re-mained deaf to theirdemands, they now wel-comed the current gov-ernment’s initiatives,which also had a benefi-cial effect on the statusof social workers. Amongthese, she mentionedstopping privatisationand a slow tendency ofrenationalisation, both ofwhich have begun toshow their positive ef-fects.Cser said the Union cur-rently saw no reason forindustrial action, but they

did want to see the situ-ation of the worst-paidpublic sector employees– some 92,000 socialworkers – finally movingtowards a solution. Shesaid they mentionedtheir most importantgrievances at today’smeeting and mentionedthat the union offered totake part in the afore-mentioned workinggroup’s meetings so theycan formulate their pro-posal there also.He said low wages werethe most critical aspectfor social workers, manyof whom are heavily indebt. She also said thatsocial workers employedby non-state institutionsdid not have public em-ployee status, meaningthere is a significant dis-parity in wages withintheir ranks.

Two-Bin Household Waste Collectionto begin in 2015

(Online 15 Jan) Householdwaste collection using twoseparate dustbins will beginin Hungary on 1 January2015, Minister of State forEnvironmental AffairsZoltán Illés announced onTuesday at the foundationstone laying ceremony ofBudafilter 94 Ltd's newplastic recycling plant inMezőfalva, Central Trans-danubia.Mr. Illés stressed that a to-tally new waste manage-ment system has been andis continuing to be estab-lished in Hungary. The new

two-bin waste collectionsystem will be very similarto the one introduced inPoland. Household will beable to selectively collectwaste using a "fool-proofsystem", he added.The Minister of State ex-plained that one bin wouldbe for so-called wet wastesuch as garden waste,some of which will be recy-clable. The other bin will befor dry waste (paper, plas-tic, clothing, glass), the con-tents of which will betransported to sorting cen-tres and then sold for recy-cling.He also stated that non-re-cyclable waste may beprocessed to create highheat value fuel. The gener-ation of one unit of energyfrom oil derivatives costs 10forints, while a similar of en-ergy can be generated fromwaste at a cost of only 0.5forints, he added. Mr. Illéspointed out that the Euro-pean Union has determinedwhat percentage of house-hold waste each memberstate must recycle duringthe upcoming years. The in-troduction of landfill contri-butions was necessary tomeet increasing EU re-quirements, and the resultsis that waste managementcompanies now prefer torecycle waste rather thandeposit it in landfills, be-cause the former can gen-erate significant income forthem, he emphasised.Companies that are inca-pable of operating theirservices in a non-profit

manner can apply for com-pensation and developmentfunding out of the contribu-tions paid.With regard to the recyclingof plastic bottles, Mr. Illéspointed out that several bil-lion PET bottles are manu-factured in Hungary everyyear. These bottles are pro-duced from oil derivativesand take over 400 years todegrade, he added.The Minister of State saidthat the activities of theMezőfalva company wereimportant because insteadof allowing waste to accu-

mulate and pollute the at-mosphere it turns PETbottles into various plasticcomponents, fittings andparts. He expressed his ap-preciation of the fact thatthe new production hallwould include machineryfor turning plastic granulateinto new PET bottles again.Fidesz-KDNP MP László L.Simon stressed that theGovernment is providingfunding for the develop-ment project because it isinnovative, will create jobsand will boost the ruraleconomy. The activities ofBudafilter are built on Hun-garian inventiveness, Hun-garian developments andHungarian knowledge, headded.Mr. L. Simon indicated thatthe company has submitteda tender to the NationalWaste ManagementAgency for the establish-ment of a plastic bottle col-lection system that will becapable of collecting quan-tities far in excess of the ca-pacity of the plant, thusproviding raw materials forother enterprises with asimilar profile.Managing Director ofBudafilter Lajos Simon saidthat the laying of the foun-dation stone of the new pro-duction plant also meantthe launching of the newcollection system based onhousehold bottle crushers,adding that the companyhas been involved in devel-oping the bottle crushingmachine for 12 years andused PET bottles are fully

recycled.In reply to a question fromHungarian news agencyMTI, he said that the com-pany currently employs 22people, but that this numberwould increase to sixtyonce the new productionhall is completed.According to press informa-tion handed out at the pressconference, Budafilter 94Ltd has received a total ofHUF 100 million in fundingwithin the framework of theCentral Transdanubia Op-erative Programme towardsits activities involving the

collection and recycling ofPET bottles and the devel-opment of its bottle crush-ing machine, which isbased solely on Hungarianinnovation. The new, HUF205 million developmentproject concerning the ex-pansion of the company'sproduction hall and the in-stallation of a 2500 ton ca-pacity bottle washing line,has already begun.Budafilter 94 limited beganthe development of the sys-tem in 2002, the basis ofwhich is the patented elec-tric household crushing ma-chine, which the companyhas already spent HUF 300million of its own funds de-veloping. Collected PETbottles are 100% recycledto manufacture strappingtape and injection-mouldedproducts. The companypays 2 forints per bottle topeople who send themcrushed bottles by post atthe expense of the enter-prise.The company's existing1200 ton capacity recyclingplant was inaugurated on 6December 2012 with an in-vestment of HUF 315 mil-lion. As a result of theinvestment project, theplant, which is heated (andcooled in summer) usingthermal energy was fittedwith a 600 ton capacitygranulating line, a 600 toncapacity strapping tape pro-duction line and two injec-tion moulding machines.

Photo: Csaba Pelsőczy

Photo: Csaba Pelsőczy

Minister Martonyi’s meeting withForeign Secretary Hague

(Online 15 Jan) The useof nuclear energy andthe rights of EU citizenswere the main topics oftalks in London betweenHungary’s Minister ofForeign Affairs and hisBritish counterpart on 14January 2014.Minister János Martonyitold Hungarian NewsAgency MTI after the ne-gotiations that he agreedwith Foreign SecretaryWilliam Hague that bothcountries have a needfor nuclear energy andan independent and se-cure energy supply. Bothcountries also share thegoal of improving com-petitiveness.As to the question ofwhether the tightening ofregulations regarding thelabour-related freemovement of EuropeanUnion citizens intro-

duced by the UK govern-ment had been a subjectof discussion, MinisterMartonyi said that duringhis talks with Hague hehad underlined the prin-ciple that without thecomplete realisation ofEU freedoms therewould be no single inter-nal market.Martonyi said it wasBritain who sought tostrengthen the internalmarket, so it is “difficultto understand” why theUK “is singling out one ofthe four fundamentalfreedoms and is striving,separately, to restrict it”.Minister Martonyi notedthat the number of immi-grants from Central Eu-rope to the UK hasdecreased significantlyin recent years. Thesejob-seekers do not posea risk, he said, adding

that attempts to abusethe British welfare sys-tem should be preventedbut bilateral relationsprovided an adequateframework to deal withthe problem.Minister Martonyi addedthat parties at the talkssaw eye to eye “on theo-retical aspects of enforc-ing European freedomrights”, but “the Britishhave problems, con-cerns, and clearly politi-cal priorities, too” as faras welfare services areconcerned.At the talks, MinisterMartonyi invited hiscounterpart to Hungaryfor a meeting of VisegrádFour foreign ministers inMay. The meeting willfocus on energy and re-viewing ties betweenCentral Europe and theUK.

140 million HUF to junior school pro-grams in the Hungarian diaspora

(Online 14 Jan) 140million HUF is availablefor junior school pro-grams in the Hungariandiaspora this year, fo-cusing on talent man-agement, careerguidance, personalitydevelopment and sci-ence promotion. AsZsuzsanna Répás,Deputy State Secretaryfor National Policy saidat the press conferenceheld in Budapest thisTuesday, with a raisedlevel of funding, theywould like to bringaround multifold eventsduring this thematicyear. As she stressedthat the main goal re-mains in strengtheningHungarian education inthe diaspora and mak-ing it appealing to par-ents and students alike.A methodology packagewill be compiled againthis year for teachers,while conferences andcareer orientation train-ings will be organizedas well. One of thesewill focus specifically onnatural sciences and theother will be about talentmanagement. Two road-shows will be engagedin the Carpathian Basin- one will be a careerorientation training fo-cusing on 7th and 8thgrade primary schoolstudents, to help themfind the most appropri-ate way how and whereto advance in studies;and as the Deputy StateSecretary added, theywould like to see morelight being shed on for-eign Hungarian voca-tional education.The other roadshow will

focus on economic, fis-cal and business issues.hey plan to organize ad-vancement trainingswith a participant num-ber of 100 for teachersabout the role of theclass-master. Region-specific trainings areplanned, dealing withthemes considered im-portant by local teach-ers.There will also be ten-ders announced, one ofthem aims to strengthenschools’ natural scienceeducation and the otheris to ensure cooperationof teachers and kinder-garten nurses. Shenoted, that they will de-velop the 'Ringató' pro-gram further on, may itreach even the smallestsettlements too. In orderto upgrade debate cul-ture, they plan to initiatedebate societies and formore, the game called'Miénk a város' (literally'The City is Ours') car-ries on, with uppergraders encouraged toplan a hiking trailaround their own areas.She also stated, a six-issue online journalstarts shortly, its spe-cific issues being abouttopics such as success,talent, science, adven-ture, role models andexpectations. First issueshould be ready until 21February.According to ZsuzsannaRépás, the thematicprograms were workedout in accordance withthe strategic plan of thenational policy. She re-minded, for the ethnicHungarian populationlocated outside of cur-

rent-day Hungary, 2012was the year of the Hun-garian kindergartens,last year was the year ofthe infant schools. Foreach program a 100-mil-lion HUF budget wasavailable. She stressed,that they did pin up theidea of Hungarian edu-cation abroad and in-form parents about theimportance of nativelanguage schooling insuch a way that theycould rely on local edu-cational associations.Botond Siklódi Burus,president of the Roman-ian Hungarian Educa-tional Association said,the dedicated years ofkindergartens and infantschool programmes pro-vided an opportunity tothe Hungarian commu-nity to experience edu-cational issues. Heremarked, that a big ad-vantages of the pro-grammes are that theyhelp professionals witha set of methods start-ing with the first link inthe chain of education.He expressed, that he ishappy to see the the-matic series of pro-grammes going on andthey hope for the partic-ipation of civil and pro-fessional institutionsabroad. Furthermore hesaid because of the re-organization of the edu-cation system abroad,lots of Hungarian educa-tional bodies got endan-gered and situation issimilar in every otherarea in the CarpathianBasin.