On Sunday the Hungarian prime minister and his delegation arrived in Indonesia on a three-day official visit. On Monday Mr. Orbán was received with military honours in the presidential palace, where he first held private talks with the President, followed by a plenary session with the participation of members of the Hungarian cabinet.
At a press conference following the meetings Mr. Orbán talked about possible fields of cooperation between the two countries, including agriculture, the IT sector and water management. On the latter he said that there are 34 locations in Indonesia where Hungarian water management investments are being realised.
Talking about the recent terrorist attack in Jakarta, Mr. Orbán pointed out that “the Government of Indonesia managed to stabilise the situation within three or four hours”. This shows that Indonesia is a stable country, and Hungary is seeking to find opportunities for economic cooperation, he said.
Mr. Orbán also announced that fifty Indonesian students will be given the opportunity to study at Hungarian universities with Hungarian state scholarships.
He said that “today has proved to me – and to Hungary as well – that there is no corner left on Earth – however far it may be from Hungary – where Hungarian businesspeople cannot establish good business relations and fruitful economic cooperation, or realise investments. Today we feel as though Hungary has stepped onto the international stage: we are not only capable of establishing business relations in Vienna, but also in Jakarta”.
President of Indonesia Joko Widodo said that the talks with Mr. Orbán were conducted in an effective and friendly manner, with discussion on cooperation opportunities such as developments in the field of water management and the drinking water supply system. In addition, he highlighted renewable energy sources and the digital economy as important fields for cooperation.
Before the statements by the Prime Minister and the President, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó signed an agreement on higher education exchange programmes over the next few years, and Minister of Agriculture Sándor Fazekas signed one on cooperation in the fields of fisheries and aquaculture.
On Monday afternoon, Mr. Orbán will deliver a speech at the Indonesian-Hungarian business forum, and later he was due to meet Secretary General of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Le Luong Minh.
