Parliament debates Hungary-UAE economic agreement

Tristan Azbej, a state secretary of the foreign ministry, said opposition lawmakers had “willfully misunderstood” the proposal.

Regarding the investment project to redevelop Rakosrendezo area in Budapest’s 14th district, Azbej said the government was seeking a parliamentary mandate for an international agreement laying the groundwork for the project, he added.

“The bill doesn’t apply to the implementation of the Rakosrendezo investment or the details contained therein, but solely to the request for authorisation relating to the procedure establishing [the project] through an international treaty,” he said.

Public consultation on the project was concluded in January in accordance with the law, he said. The consultation had yielded professionals’ remarks on issues such as green areas, environmental sustainability and other topics. The government “has considered the proposals and included them [in the project] within the bounds of common sense,” he said.

Azbej said compensation had also been included in the proposal. The investment itself “will create value on a scale that makes it significant to national economy and enriches the budget,” he said, adding that the investment was expected to create some 30,000 jobs.

He said it was inexplicable that green politicians could object to the a capital investment that would create areas with bicycle paths closed to traffic and new housing which coincided with their own policy aims.