We raise our voice on behalf of those Hungarian companies that, having made significant sacrifices in recent years, have worked to revive Hungarian-Cuban economic and trade relations.

Our companies exhibited at trade fairs, and numerous official delegations, cultural delegations, businesspeople, and corporate groups visited the island nation, including many well-known Hungarian companies with a long history. In our personal negotiations, we particularly emphasized the long-standing, traditionally good relations between the two countries and our aspiration to open a new chapter in cultural, educational, and trade relations between them.

We developed hundreds of offers for our Cuban partners, which could represent significant orders for Hungarian companies and the Hungarian economy. In a country with a similar size and history to Cuba, our companies have a remarkable chance to supply products and technological systems.

It was a great achievement and step forward that Hungary signed intergovernmental agreements with Cuba in recent years on cultural, educational, and economic cooperation. These were milestones and harbingers of a promising development.

Our companies eagerly awaited their Cuban partners in Hungary in November for the meeting of the intergovernmental Joint Economic Committee. The Cuban side canceled and postponed the Cuban delegation’s trip to a later date, reacting to Foreign Minister Kinga Göncz’s visit and speech in Miami last October – which, according to Havana, she delivered among counter-revolutionaries.

In recent months, thanks to the work of official bodies and entrepreneurs, tensions had already eased, and we could again hope for the continuation of trade relations. However, these are now overshadowed by the ominous news that Hungary will officially receive Caleb McCarry.

McCarry’s visit to Hungary, appointed as the “Coordinator for Cuban Transition,” aims to negotiate with official state bodies on issues of Cuban transition and prepare for a conference on this topic. This could derail the processes initiated so far and Hungarian-Cuban bilateral relations. Furthermore, the United States government wishes to interfere in the internal affairs of an independent country, and it seeks to involve our country as an ally.

We raise our voice in protest against the visit and the planned conference. We ask our government bodies not to forge strong ties with the anti-Cuban organization in Miami, but rather to support the development of cultural and economic relations that are beneficial for both countries. Please also consider how many years of work, enthusiastic efforts, and investments by Hungarian and Cuban professionals could be ruined by one misguided step, with the greatest victim being the promising bilateral relationship on the verge of development, and certain sectors of the Hungarian economy.

Budapest: May 15, 2007

On behalf of the business circle supporting Hungarian-Cuban economic relations:

Tamás Gyenese, DENV-AIR Kft.

Miklós Varenke, SEAL RING Kft.

László Tótiván, DKG-ITCC Kft.