The Prime Minister gave a speech at the inauguration ceremony for a feed mixing plant operated by UBM Feed Romania in the village in Mureș/Maros County.
Mr. Orbán noted that Hungary has already realised excellent economic cooperation with Serbia and Slovakia, and the deficit in Hungarian-Romanian relations can also be made up.
He added that Hungarian-Romanian economic cooperation can be boosted if there are enterprising investors.
He said that Central Europe is made up of nations, and we must no longer delay recognition of the fact that these nations share a common fate and have joint interests, and must therefore choose the path of cooperation.
He pointed out that action must be taken, “we must take up the challenge”, compete and develop in order to enable a much faster reduction in the gap between those countries which were subjected to communism and those that were not. He added that in Hungary economic matters are developing promisingly.
The Prime Minister stressed the need for infrastructure links – motorways and railway lines – between Hungary and Romania, adding that on this there are currently talks between the Hungarian and Romanian governments. He highlighted the proposed high-speed rail link between Bucharest and Budapest, which could also connect Kolozsvár/Cluj-Napoca to the region’s economic bloodstream.
Mr. Orbán observed that although at the event he was inaugurating a single project, in the future businesspeople can continue to rely on the Hungarian government for assistance in realising further projects.
The Prime Minister also said that the upcoming elections to the European Parliament will be important, because what is happening in Brussels and Europe is significant.
He stressed that good decisions must be made, and leaders and representatives who will stand up for Hungarian, Romanian and Central European interests are also needed in Brussels.
Mr. Orbán encouraged everyone to vote, to want to be a part of Europe, and to make use of the opportunities offered.
Hunor Kelemen, President of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ) highlighted that “the Hungarian government is an ally of our community” and of the RMDSZ, and that where there is alliance, there are also shared causes and joint achievements.
He said that there is agreement on goals, “strengthening us here”, and also on the means to realise goals. He added that what has been started must be continued, there must be hard work, consideration of one another, and the building of trust between communities.
Mr. Kelemen told his audience that every day we face choices, and we cannot afford to put at risk what has been built. There must be the belief that peoples and nations can cooperate, he stated, and that it is possible to create security and to increase prosperity.
In his opinion a nation’s history is built from the stories of small communities.
He stressed the importance of preserving community identity, and also the need for joint action, for jobs and economic success, “otherwise our homeland will be depopulated”.
According to Mr. Kelemen, there are many ways in which one can contribute to the survival of the community and work for its success and growth. He described one such way as job creation – and so the newly opened plant could also benefit many people.
Miklós Kerezsi, owner of East Group, said that businesspeople who see Romania simply as a large market for imported foreign products are making a big mistake, because the country has everything needed to not only supply its own citizens with agricultural products and high-quality foodstuffs, but also to become a major exporter in the wider region.
He said that modern, effective world-class projects must be implemented in the country, and this is why his group has invested there.
Ákos Varga, President of UBM Group, said that the three founding companies have shown exemplary cooperation in implementing Central and Eastern Europe’s largest feed mixing plant, with the project being a result of long-stranding business relations and friendships.
He said that the plant illustrates the fact that a market-leading Hungarian business can export its experience and knowledge to territories beyond Hungary’s borders. He also thanked Eximbank for the assistance it provided for the project.
Oprea Emanuel, owner of Oprea Avicom, stressed that the project is a good example of different companies joining forces, and in so doing bringing in market-leading technology enabling them to gain an important position among feed manufacturers in Romania.
In Kerelőszentpál/Sânpaul UBM Feed Romania SRL – which is owned by the UBM Group, East Group and Oprea Avicom – has implemented an outstanding project in the region’s agricultural sector. The EUR 15 million project has created the country’s largest independent feed mixing plant. With a capacity of 30 tonnes/hour – 220,000 tonnes/year – it has become one of the region’s largest feed manufacturing facilities, with technology among the most modern in Europe.