“Hungary is back among us”
Source: Website of the Cuban Embassy in Hungary
Hungary participated in the 2008 Havana International Fair, led by the Hungarian Investment and Trade Development Agency (ITD), founded in 1993. This governmental agency of the European country has representation in eight regional centers and 55 offices operating within the diplomatic service in 43 countries.
“Before the nineties, intensive economic and trade relations existed between Cuba and Hungary. During that period, 30-40 companies conducted economic activities in our country. Following the changes in some European countries, the corporate structure also significantly changed; nowadays, approximately three thousand companies are engaged in export and import activities. This is why we exist, to find potential partners for these businesses, and this is why we are back in Cuba now,” said György Rétfalvi, CEO of ITD.
He pointed out that the affinity and good mutual understanding characterized by old, bilateral trade relations represent a favorable precedent, yet “today, companies must play a new role both in Hungary and in Cuba, for which we must work together.”
He recalled that in another period, a large number of Cubans studied in his country, just as a large group of Hungarians worked on the island, “which is why, perhaps, on the basis of these excellent relations, we can find new business opportunities and make them as strong as they once were.”
Rétfalvi set his goal as “having twice as many representatives at next year’s fair as came this time (12), and finding favorable opportunities to revitalize and further develop our bilateral relations with Cuban partners.”
Géza Vass, Head of the Department for Non-European Countries at the Ministry of National Development and Economy, emphasized that his ministry supports Hungarian companies in their activities abroad and provides facilitations for this.
“Hungary is interested in building relationships in industries such as biotechnology, the pharmaceutical industry – which has a long tradition in my country due to the quality of its pharmaceutical products – mechanical engineering, the automotive industry – such as port cranes – and alternative energy development, like the use of solar energy.”
“After several years of absence, we came to Cuba to facilitate contacts between companies and make it easier for our companies to sign bilateral export-import agreements in the future.”
Furthermore, Gábor Csige, Second Secretary of the Hungarian Embassy in Havana, stated that a meeting of the intergovernmental mixed committee would be another factor that could contribute to the development of bilateral trade relations.
“The delegation participating in the Havana International Fair has the additional mandate to try to coordinate the topic of convening this meeting, which we hope can be realized next year. This is, of course, fundamental for more companies to be interested in establishing business relations with the island nation and to give them the green light to participate with full confidence in the 2009 fair meeting.”
Regarding Hungarian participation in the fair, Osana Vila Báez, Business Policy Officer of the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Cuba, explained that Hungary had identified its areas of interest separately four years ago, and therefore, the visit of ITD’s top executives within the framework of the fair indicates that “this work has been renewed, and they have realized that a qualitatively higher step must be taken, where every organization can undertake and organize specific actions in both directions.”
“In these years, fairs were announced in both countries, but participation was very modest. For example, representatives of the Cuban Ministry of Tourism were present at various fairs in Budapest and the countryside.”
“Accordingly, our main expectation regarding Hungary is that we can work together as a country and not in an isolated manner, as has happened in recent years.” – added the expert, immediately recalling that in the eighties, the Hungarian market was characterized by strong agricultural-food, medical instrument manufacturing, and automotive industries, and relations with Cuba were very strong in these areas, and we will continue our work in this direction.”
Among the companies represented at FIHAV are Caterig Kft. (food wholesaler), Denv-Air Kft. (electric and mobile compressors, dryers and hydraulic hammers, gardening machinery, as well as tractors, water pumps, and generators), and Robix Hungary, specializing in the manufacture of agricultural and forestry machinery and small equipment.
