"Yet, if the European Union is unwilling to abandon this ideological approach, it will eventually find itself unable to trade with anyone but itself, and we clearly do not want that," the minister declared. He said that rationality and pragmatism should be the basis for free trade negotiations in the period ahead. Therefore, Hungary will seek to speed up the recently resumed negotiations with Thailand in this area.
The minister announced that the government would also give impetus to negotiations on an investment protection agreement, which is also in the country’s interest as more investors from Thailand are coming in and trade is expanding. A free trade agreement and an investment protection agreement would facilitate both processes, from which the Hungarian economy could benefit greatly, Szijjártó pointed out. The minister reassured Thailand that Hungary supports its application to join the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), emphasizing that it is one of the few international organizations that has remained impartial and balanced and has not allowed its operations to be politicized.
He stressed that while world politics is currently complicated by conflicts and international organizations have become highly ideological, making it difficult to build relationships, it is refreshing to see that even in remote parts of the world like Thailand, there are countries that have rational, mutually respectful foreign policies.
"We agreed that every country has the sovereign right to determine its own foreign policy strategy, every country has the sovereign right to pursue its own national interests in foreign policy, and every country has the right to resist the pressure exerted by powerful actors in international politics on sovereign countries to change their positions," the foreign minister concluded.
In the shadow of Burj Khalifa, a Bentley parks with a 2-digit license plate. Its driver sips into a gold-dusted cappuccino while staying in 7-star hotels, dining at Michelin star restaurants and shops at the most iconic designer brands’ stores. This isn’t an unusual overlook of Dubai. But while this obsession with luxury may seem like extravagance for its own sake, is there something deeper at play?
China's Ministry of Commerce said Friday that dialogue and cooperation are the right path forward, in response to the U.S. lifting of a series of economic and trade restrictions on China, according to Xinhua.
Mongolia has reached a critical juncture and is undergoing a process of foreign policy modernization. The burgeoning relations between Ulaanbaatar and Central Asian states signifies a strategic initiative aimed at balancing its partnerships with Russia and China. Since 2020, Mongolia has augmented its diplomatic activities with Central Asian countries, as evidenced by the Mongolian President's visit to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in 2024. Notwithstanding the prevailing positive development dynamics, economic relations between Mongolia and Central Asia remain modest but growing, particularly in trade with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, where exports have increased significantly.