Diplomacy & Trade 2017 October

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CARRY ON, CHANCELLOR MERKEL!

FOLLOWING THE BUNDESTAG ELECTIONS, “FRAU MERKEL WAS FIGURATIVELY BLEEDING FROM A NUMBER OF WOUNDS, AND SOME OF THEM WERE SELF-INFLICTED.” THAT IS ACCORDING TO OUR ANALYST WHO PROJECTS THE GERMAN LEADER WILL FACE MORE DIFFICULTIES. SEE MORE

India

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This year, India celebrates the 70th anniversary of its independence from the United Kingdom. The Ambassador of the Republic of India to Hungary, Rahul Chhabra tells Diplomacy&Trade of the huge development his country has gone through over these seven decades. He also discusses, among other issues, the excellent bilateral political and economic relations between the two countries, including successful Indian investments in Hungary and the great interest of Hungarians in the life and culture of India. see articles on pages 8-13

A Value Creating Community

The Hungarian Business Council for Sustainable Development (BCSDH) celebrates its ten-year anniversary. Its President, Attila Chikán quotes the CEO one of the member companies by saying that “we are a value-creating community for business leaders” in which active work is taking place with the personal involvement of senior executives. see page 18

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Trnava Tourism, autor: Alexandra GalambovĂĄ

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letter from the publisher

Facts and fiction in the footsteps of Fritz Lang

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05 ON THE RECORD 06-07 COMPANY BRIEFS 08-13 INDIA FOCUS Interview with Ambassador Rahul

Chhabra; Analysis: A potential superpower; Curry House; Dream jobs in India; Indian Film Week; Alluring India

14 ANALYSIS Carry on, Chancellor Merkel!

AND DON’T FORGET

monthly in print - daily on the web

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16 TOURISM Competitive potential in Slovakia

18-19 BUSINESS BCSDH 10 years old; Hong Kong

conference in Budapest; Peter Justesen

PUBLISHER: Peter Freed EDITOR: Sándor Laczkó COPY EDITOR: Joyce Freed PHOTO EDITOR: Dávid Harangozó SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR: Tamás Varga DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Tibor Ocsenás ADMINISTRATION: Judit Ludányi ASSISTANT: Ágnes Rapaport

Copyright 2004-2017 Duax Kft., all rights reserved | ISSN 1589-8075 This magazine is produced by Duax Kft. The opinions published in the magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Duax Kft.

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22-23 SOCIETY 24-25 WHAT’S ON Concerts, festivals, events and

exhibitions in and out of Budapest

26 WINE Que Syrah, Syrah; Celebrating the red wines of Villány

27 GASTRONOMY The pumpkin - our favorite fall gourd

Diplomacy&Trade will present a special Focus on Italian-Hungarian relations on the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Hungary. With Ambassador Massimo Rustico, we will discuss the main challenges Italy faces, including the crisis posed by the influx of illegal migrants across the Mediterranean. We will also look at bilateral relations and how the current economic environment affects Italian investors. Tourism and culture will be covered, as well, since Italy is in the Top 10 of countries with the highest number of tourists visiting Hungary and because Hungary is frequented by renowned Italian artists, including performances this year by Ennio Morricone and Andrea Bocelli.

Contemporary Photography Center, Márton Kovács/MFAT, Amrita Sher-Gil Cultural Center, Odd Andersen/Getty Images, Slovak Tourist Board, Z. László Nagy, Peter Justesen Company, Embassy of France, Felix Broede, Racmolnar Milan, David A. Lee, MTI Photos: Szilárd Koszticsák, János Mészáros, Zoltán Balogh, Sándor Ujvári, Tibor Rosta,Tibor Illyés

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21 CINEMA Facts and fiction in the footsteps of Fritz

ITALIAN FOCUS - COMING SOON

CONTRIBUTORS: Sándor Laczkó, Tamás Magyarics, Ágnes Weninger, Eric Fournier PHOTO CONTRIBUTORS: Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters (Cover), Pixabay.com, Shutterstock.com, 123RF.com, Belle EpoqueFilms/TimFulda, Robert Capa

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Business opportunities through Hong Kong

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Europe eagerly awaited the German parliamentary elections this September but the results have not made the political picture any clearer in the EU’s powerhouse. According to the latest news, we may not see the formation of a new government before December. Our international analyst bets on Angela Merkel continuing as chancellor while most people look to her for guidance, not only in Germany but in Europe as well.

The country in focus in this issue of Diplomacy&Trade is India that has recently celebrated the 70th anniversary of its independence from the United Kingdom. Ambassador Rahul Chhabra explains the transformation of the world’s most populous democracy. In fact, he says, it is the cohesive force of democracy that has helped the country to be successful ‘in the Indian way’. Our analyst calls India a ‘potential superpower’ with inherent problems and ambitious plans.

One of the Indian success stories internationally is food – read about a Bangladeshi businessman opening his second Indian restaurant in Budapest. Also, find out how the Hungarian capital celebrated India’s independence with a film week and special fashion show.

Our business pages focus on the issue of sustainability in the corporate world as the Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary (BCSDH) celebrates its 10th anniversary, a conference on business opportunities in Hong Kong hosted in Budapest and a Danish firm that serves the diplomatic world.

Our WittyLeaks column is authored by the Ambassador of France who has written a poetrical contemplation on what leisure in Hungary is to him, while our gastronomy page presents the vegetable of the season, the pumpkin – which is technically not a vegetable!

Please enjoy our program guides, wine offers and society picture compilations.

The pumpkin - our favorite fall gourd

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on the record companies looking to source world class technologies and products will be able to import leading Canadian goods and services duty free.

Beyond these benefits for the trade of goods, CETA provides Canadian and Hungarian companies with unprecedented access to public procurement opportunities. Businesses on both sides of the Atlantic – smaller companies in particular – will benefit from more legal certainty, better mobility for company employees, and more streamlined rules and procedures generally.

But CETA is about more than just economic benefits. It is a new, progressive type of trade agreement – one that aims to shape globalization in a positive way. Part of the reason that CETA is so ground-breaking is that it ensures economic growth goes hand in hand with workers’ rights and high levels of environmental protection.

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SZILÁRD KOSZTICSÁK/MTI, MFAT, ROBERT CAPA CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY CENTER

WHO REGIONAL COMMITTEE ELECTS HUNGARIAN MEMBER

The 67th session of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Committee for Europe took place in Hungary. The Regional Committee elected new members to open positions. Among them, Deputy Director General of Hungary’s National Healthcare Services Center Dr. Hanna Páva was elected as a member of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe’s Standing Committee (SCRC), for a three-year term.

The roles of the Standing Committee include representing the Regional Committee, assuring the implementation of the Committee’s resolutions and policies, acting as an advisor with regard to issues put before the Regional Committee, consulting with the Regional Director prior to the sessions of the Regional Committee, and preparing proposals to put before the Regional Committee and the Regional Director.

“Our message is reaching further and higher.” These were the words of WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr. Zsuzsanna Jakab in her concluding address to the 67th session. “Health is a political choice,” she added, “and our political leaders are listening, and taking up the call to action.”

Dr. Jakab also introduced a roadmap for implementing the 2030 Agenda. Building on Health 2020, it brings the Region’s priorities forward and provides a common direction, highlighting actions that can accelerate and strengthen the capacities of Member States to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Member States widely supported the roadmap, and adopted the related resolution.

Member States adopted other critical resolutions on accelerating the implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005), improving access to medicines and fair pricing, and implementing the Declaration of the 6th Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health.

Participating in the WHO Regional Committee for Europe for the first time, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s newly elected Director-General, presented his vision for WHO’s mission: keep the world safe, improve health and serve the vulnerable. “We are here because we care about the health of the world’s people,” he concluded. “They must be foremost in all our minds this week, and weeks, and months later, and should be our daily thinking.”

HUNGARY ESTABLISHES DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH PALAU

According to the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjártó, the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Pacific island nation Palau is also an important step from an economic perspective. The document was signed during the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, and it was during this visit that he concluded an agreement on establishing diplomatic relations with Palau.

In a statement to Hungarian news agency MTI, the politician explained that in 2011, The President of the Republic issued a resolution on establishing diplomatic relations with Palau and other island nations in the Pacific, but this had not taken place to date.

According to Mr. Szijjártó, the implementation of the decision is also important because Palau has links to Hungary: it is the only country in the region to have named one of its schools after Cardinal Mindszenty, and accordingly, its “spiritual link” to Hungary is obvious. “It was agreed that based on the Mindszenty heritage, work should begin at the level of cultural and social relations”, he said.

“Water management is also an important area of building relations, in view of the fact that Palau lies in a region that is vulnerable to extreme weather conditions, and accordingly water management issues play a significant role in the country’s’ life”, Mr. Szijjártó stated.

“Since several countries in the region, such as Indonesia, are already using Hungarian water management technologies, we will also be making Palau an offer with relation to the transfer of Hungarian technology”, the Minister explained.

"As of today, September 21st, 98% of all tariffs between Hungary and Canada are eliminated. This is a momentous occasion for Canada, the EU and Hungary as the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement – known as CETA – comes into effect through provisional application," a statement by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hungary (CCCH) says.

A statement signed by the Canadian Ambassador to Hungary, Isabelle Poupart and CCCH President Nicholas Sarvari adds that by creating a host of new opportunities for both Canadian and Hungarian businesses, this important milestone will both deepen and broaden the strong bilateral relationship between Canada and Hungary, which is underpinned by important people-to-people ties through the more than 340,000 Canadians who have Hungarian roots.

Trade between the EU and Canada is already significant, but CETA is a game changer that will include benefits for all. As of this morning (September 21), this progressive free trade agreement has already started increasing two-way trade, promoting new economic opportunities and strengthening economic relations between Canada and Hungary.

Virtually all of Hungary’s exports to Canada are now tarifffree, including key automotive, electronic, and agri-food products, making them more cost competitive. And Hungarian

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UPCOMING NATIONAL DAYS

WORLD’S FIRST PERMANENT CAPA EXHIBITION TO OPEN IN BUDAPEST

The world’s only permanent exhibition of Robert Capa’s photographs will open in October, 2018 in the Hungarian capital at the recently refurbished Capa Centre. The news was announced on the day of Hungarian photography. Speaking at a press conference, State Minister for Culture Péter Hoppál said that the government will contribute HUF 500 million (EUR 1.64 million) to the refurbishment and expansion of the center. The center will be hosting the 937 photos of Capa’s master collection and a further 48 vintage copies. The exhibition is expected to open on 22 October 2018, at the 105th anniversary of Robert Capa’s birth.

Robert Capa, born in Budapest on 22 October 1913, is considered the world’s greatest war photographer; he covered five wars. Capa died on May 25, 1954 during an assignment to

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cover the First Indochina War for Life magazine when he stepped on a land mine in Thai Bin. The State Minister said that the Hungarian state purchased the Capa master collection in 2008 for about HUF 300 million forints from the New York International Center of Photography (ICP), the initial curator of the legacy of the world famous photographer of Hungarian extraction. At the time, Hungary pledged that it would exhibit the pictures in a newly established center. The Capa Center opened in Budapest in 2013, in the former building of the Ernst Museum, on the 100th anniversary of the photographer’s birth.

The Ministry of Human Capacities previously spent HUF 14 million to draft the plans for the building’s reconstruction. Following a government decision this August, the budget will provide another HUF 490.6 million to expand and modernize the building, in order to create a fitting exhibition site for the collection.

OLDEST HUNGARIAN FILM STUDIO 100 YEARS OLD It was a hundred years ago that Sándor Korda – later known as Sir Alexander Korda - and his associates opened ‘Corvin studio’, Hungary's first film studio (the 7th oldest in the world) at a location that is still a TV and film production facility in Budapest. The anniversary was celebrated with hundreds of guests. As the Hungarian Film Magazine writes, Corvin studios (later called Mafilm) was founded just a few years after legendary Hollywood studios like Warner, Paramount, Fox and Universal and before famous American studios like Disney or Columbia. Masterpieces like Oscarwinning ’Mephisto’ (by István Szabó) and former Cannes Classics like 'Merry-Go-Round’ (by Zoltán Fábri), 'The Round-Up’ by Miklós Jancsó and ’Love’ by Károly Makk were all made there.

These movies, as well as countless other Hungarian classics, were produced by Mafilm. Several generations have grown up watching these motion pictures from historical period dramas to family comedies, all of which have rendered Mafilm a cornerstone of Hungarian film culture. The most influential Hungarian directors, such as Mihály Kertész. Janos Badal, Vilmos Zsigmond, Zoltán Huszárik, Félix Máriássy, Frigyes Bán, Márton Keleti, István Szabó, Károly Makk, Miklós Jancsó, Márta Mészáros and Zoltán Fábri launched their career at Mafilm studios.

From the beginning of the 1940s, the studio (then under the name of Hunnia) became the third largest film studio in Europe, with regard to the number of movies being prod uced.

Retrospectively speaking, it is impressive that over 500 cinemas operated in Hungary in the thirties, a great deal more than nowadays. The first big turning point in the history of the film company was undoubtedly when it started to make sound films in 1931. The unequivocal highlight of the whole pre-war era was definitely that year's ‘Hyppolit, the Butler’ which was the country's second ‘talkie'. As the Magazine writes, it is not easy to name any outstanding pieces, despite the amount of motion pictures of that time. The era’s popular movies were typically light comedies with first-rate masters of entertainment like Gyula Kabos.

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­company briefs NEW SMR PROJECTS IN HUNGARY

Samvardhana Motherson Reflectec (SMR), a member of the Samvardhana Motherson Group (SMG) is starting two projects in Túrkeve, E Hungary.

One project, worth EUR 10 million, is a new 12,000 square meters manufacturing hall for rear-view mirrors, which will create 315 new jobs, while another EUR 16 million development will expand the bumper part manufacturing capacity, with 74 new jobs, the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA) reports.

Established in 1975, the Samvardhana Motherson Group (SMG) is a global automotive supplier. Its business portfolio covers a wide range of products

worldwide for all major carmakers: drivable cabs, bumper covers, rear-view mirrors, camera systems, lighting systems, interior and exterior upholstery, cable systems, air conditioning systems and allterrain driving cabs. In rear-view mirror production, it has a 25% share in the world market. In addition, SMG also provides a full range of IT and design engineering services to various industrial segments.

SMG is one of the world's 30 largest automotive suppliers, employing more than 100,000 people in 33 countries on five continents. The Group generated a sales revenue of USD 9.1 billion in the 2016/17 business year.

As a member of the SMG group, SMR Hungary has developed to one of the largest rear-view mirror manufacturers in the world, delivering more than

Hegyeshalom Logistics Center in the areas of management, administration, engineering, production and logistics. It generated a sales revenue of EUR 403 million in the 2016/17 business year.

After an expansion announced in October 2016, SMR Hungary is expanding its Túrkeve unit once again.

Simultaneously, another development has also started in Túrkeve, which includes the implementation of the manufacture of plastic bumper elements by one of the subsidiaries of the SMR as part of a EUR 16 million project, creating 74 new jobs. The Hungarian government has provided a subsidy based on individual government decision to both projects, through the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency. The amount of the government subsidy exceeds one quarter of the total investment costs.

eight million sets of external mirrors a year to, among other carmakers, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Opel, Porsche, Kia, Ford and Jaguar-Land Rover. It employs nearly 2,500 employees at its Mosonszolnok, Mosonmagyaróvár and Túrkeve factories and

SAPA TO INSTALL NEW TECHNOLOGY IN SZÉKESFEHÉRVÁR Hungary has obtained another reference in connection with electromobility: the Székesfehérvár (SW of Budapest) unit of Sapa Profiles won the intra-company competition for the production of alloys developed for electric and hybrid cars. Under the EUR 21.8 million project, presses and precision machining stations will be installed and 120 new jobs will be created. Taking advantage of the development and its existing know-how, Sapa's plant in Hungary will become a prominent expert in the manufacturing of individual structural components for electric cars in Europe.

Active in the field of metalworking, the Norwegian Sapa is one of the world's most important automotive suppliers, continuously working and developing together with partners such as Aston Martin, Audi, Jaguar and Porsche. The annual global sales of the company, which has production capacity in 40 countries worldwide, came close to EUR 6 billion in 2016, while employing more than 22,000 people. Recycled aluminum is used in more than 50% of their production.

With its five aluminum press lines, multiple surface treatment technologies and more than 200 working machines, the Székesfehérvár unit is considered the largest pressing plant in Europe. Last year, they reached sales of EUR 260 million and they currently provide employment to about 1,500 people.

According to the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency, the company's management chose the Székesfehérvár unit for this development at the end of tight competition in the region, where previous achievements and a reliable workforce proved to be major factors in the decision. Sapa will make worked aluminum parts and crash-resistant alloys representing a high added value for new generation electric cars.

The new pressing plant represents the most advanced technology and opens a new chapter in the history of the company's activities in Hungary, so far, allowing the strengthening of the increasing automotive segment of electric and hybrid-powered cars in Székesfehérvár.

In his address, Frank Iepema, Managing Director of Sapa Profiles Ltd., emphasized that their first plant in Hungary was established more than ten years ago, and its focus has gradually shifted from volume to value.

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REGION'S LARGEST TOMATO PROCESSING PLANT OPENS The Hungarian Univer Product Co. Ltd. has opened Central Europe’s largest tomato processing plant in Kecskemét, southeast of Budapest. The Hungarian government contributed almost half of the investment costs of the project: HUF 2.1 billion (EUR 7 million) of the HUF 4.3 billion forint investment.

“The food industry is one of our flagship industries in Hungary, and accordingly, it is particularly important to increase performance within this field”, Minister for National Economy Mihály Varga said at the official inauguration of the new Univer tomato processing plant.

“The Hungarian economy is on a growth trajectory, and the Government’s goal is for everyone to directly experience this growth; for people and families to have wider opportunities and to be able to plan for the future with increasing confidence”, the Minister was quoted in a report by the Ministry for National Economy published on kormany.hu.

The minister also said that the most important role in the advancement of the Hungarian economy is played by those businesses that have suitable professional expertise and are capable of adapting

to market requirements, which they achieve through the continuous development of their products and production methods. “This is why the Government launched the Large Enterprise Investment Program in 2015, which has so far facilitated the realization of HUF 70 billion forints (EUR 231 million) worth of capacityexpanding investments on the part of 49 enterprises, and contributed to the creation of a total of almost 1650 new workplaces”, he added.

The Minister highlighted to the press that Univer Product Co. Ltd. uses only Hungarian ingredients to make its products, many of which are the most sought after in their category, thus providing a dependable living for hundreds of Hungarian primary agricultural producers.

“The company pays particular attention to its suppliers and facilitates production with, among others, professional advice and technology, and accordingly, it is no surprise that some families have been supplying Univer for three generations”, Mr. Varga added.

Thanks to the new project, the company will be able to produce its outstanding quality tomato purees, which are competitive on both export and domestic markets, at double capacity, in addition to creating new jobs.

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A Hungarian aircraft maker, manufacturing sport and training airplanes, Magnus Aircraft, is building its new plant in Hungary in the immediate vicinity of the Pécs-Pogány Airport in southern Hungary with an investment of over EUR 16.6 million. Both innovative sport airplanes that the company developed by itself, the petrol-powered Fusion 212 and its fully electric pair, eFusion, that received an award at the Aero 2016 Airshow, will be assembled in the 7,500 square-meter manufacturing unit.

According to a report by the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA), the sales revenue of Magnus Aircraft Co. Ltd., established a little over six years ago, will reach EUR 800,000 this year, and is planned to exceed EUR 50 million within ten years.

The Hungarian company's current staff of 23 is expected to increase by 105 in the coming years as a result of developments.

Magnus Aircraft Co. Ltd. is an innovative, 100% Hungarian-owned company based in Kecskemét (in the east-central part of the country), which manufactures sport and training aircraft. The company's sport aircraft privately developed and presented in 2016 is the Fusion 212. This two-seater, multifunctional, ultralight and light aircraft is suitable for training, aerobatics, sporting aviation and emergency maneuver training.

With optional accessories, the model is also suitable for performing agricultural, wildlife management and various monitoring tasks.

As the Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó was quoted by kormany.hu, Magnus Aircraft was the first company in the world to develop a two-seater aircraft made of composite materials that is suitable for aerobatics, meaning it is much lighter, has a lower environmental impact and is cheaper to maintain that other aircraft. The most important features of Fusion 212 are its drive and fuel: unlike most aircraft, the fuselage made of composite material is driven by an engine running not on kerosene but on 95-octane unleaded fuel, which ensures optimal consumption and low maintenance costs. These properties are further optimized by the fully electric-powered eFusion built on the foundation of Fusion 212, where an extremely low operating cost is accompanied by a zero-emission technology. The electric drive system of the aircraft developed by Siemens offers a unique technology all over the world at an affordable price. The new development in Pécs will multiply the production volume in order to fulfil an increasing number of international orders.

MÁRTON KOVÁCS/MFAT, SZILÁRD KOSZTICSÁK/MTI, JÁNOS MÉSZÁROS/MTI, ZOLTÁN BALOGH/MTI

HUNGARIAN AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER TO BUILD NEW PLANT IN PÉCS

­company briefs DIEHL AIRCABIN EXPANDS WITH AN ENGINEERING CENTER IN HUNGARY

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SÁNDOR UJVÁRI/MTI, ZOLTÁN BALOGH/MTI, TIBOR ROSTA/MTI, TIBOR ILLYÉS/MTI

UNIQUE WATERFOWL AND FEATHER PROCESSING PLANT TO BE BUILT IN MÉLYKÚT The foundation stone laying ceremony for the new complex unit of Hunent Co.Ltd. triggers the construction of a waterfowl slaughterhouse and feather processing plant in Mélykút, SE Hungary. The investment project, worth some EUR 40 million, will create 350 new jobs in the food industry, which is one of the leading economic sectors in Hungary. This expansion of HUNENT is the fourth food industry investment project this year to be completed with the support of the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA).

Dating back to a history of more than 160 years through its legal predecessors, HUNENT, a waterfowl processing firm, has been present with its products for the past few years, not only in Hungary but also in several EU member states and the Far East; exports account for 63% of the company's net turnover. The main profile of the company is the processing of ducks, but it also engages in the processing of geese.

The 8.8-hectare site allocated for this greenfield investment project will accommodate a total built-in area of some 18,300 square meters of a production facility equipped with the most modern technology, including a new slaughterhouse hall with cutting, traying and packaging units, a feather processing plant, a wastewater treatment facility, an office building, a cold store with a storage capacity of 4,500 tons as well as a processing and roasting plant. The number of company employees will more than triple as a result of this investment project.

The new facility will be unique in Europe, since there are only a few duck slaughterhouses and processing plants with a similar level of capacity and technological development. The new volume of 5 million ducks will increase the total output to 14 million ducks per year.

The investment project will raise turnover above HUF 20 billion, increase the processed quantity and result in better quality and a wider range of products. As a result of the investment project, the company will be able to strengthen its market position and competitiveness despite the increased domestic and international competition. w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

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Based on the successes achieved by the Nyírbátor unit in cockpit element and aircraft parts manufacturing, the German firm Diehl Aircabin adds another activity in Hungary by establishing an engineering center, in the value of about EUR 9 million, in Debrecen, HIPA reports. The 150 high value-added jobs created as a result of the project will provide support primarily to the company's own internal departments.

The family-owned, more than 110 years old Diehl Group is headquartered in Nuremberg, Germany. In the Group comprised of five main divisions, about 16,500 employees develop, manufacture and distribute products for the aircraft industry at more than 80 locations worldwide, in 20 countries, on four continents. Its sales revenue exceeded EUR 3 billion last year.

The head office of Diehl Aircabin Kft., established in 2011 and belonging to the Diehl Gruppe Aerosystems Division, is located in Nyírbátor where its plant manufactures cockpit elements and other parts for the Airbus A320, A330, A350 and A380 aircraft models; it is also a TIER-1 supplier of Boeing. The sales revenue of the subsidiary reached EUR 22.44 million in 2016. In addition to the procurement of new buildings and machinery, the development, announced in June 2017, also creates 230 new jobs, which, with the current project, represents the employment of about 1,000 people. Rainer von Borstel, CEO of the Diehl Aerosystems Division, pointed out at the press conference in June that they decided to establish the engineering service center in Debrecen on the basis of the favorable experience in Nyírbátor and the opportunities offered by the Hungarian investment environment.

The German-owned company pays attention to ensuring that its employees have up-to-date specialist skills. It also participates in the dual training program of the University of Debrecen. Students can become familiar with the most advanced manufacturing technologies through practical training at the Nyírbátor plant.

NEW PRINTING PLANT INAUGURATED IN BÉKÉSCSABA The Austrian family-owned Marzek Group, one of the key players in packaging material manufacturing in Europe, has been present in Hungary since 2005. During its presence in this market, it has created 205 new jobs and, as an employer of more than 300 people, has carried out projects valued at EUR 1.6 billion, as part of the activities of Marzek Kner Packaging Kft., in Békéscsaba, SE Hungary. The company is considered to be the largest and oldest employer in the region. The new, 8,500-sqm plant, built as a greenfield project and beginning operations under the name of M-Flexilog Kft., will manufacture flexible packaging materials in Békéscsaba. The Hungarian Government provided a cash grant to the project, in cooperation with the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA) based on an individual government decision to project of the Austrian company.

This project also includes an automated high-ceiling warehouse, suitable for storing 8,000 pallets of goods, and high-performance production lines, have also been procured. As a result, the company is expanding its range of products with several product groups, which it makes to the highest standard, meeting market demand to the maximum extent. The manufacturing capacity of the newly established plant is designed for the manufacture of 40 million square meters of packaging materials per year. According to their plans, the share of exports within sales will reach 70%.

At the inauguration ceremony, Minister of State for Economic Diplomacy Levente Magyar highlighted the fact that the people of Hungary have made a great effort to ensure that more and more foreign capital settles here. Austria is the 4th most important investor in Hungary in terms of foreign direct capital present in the country. Before this second plant of Marzek-Kner Group in Békéscsaba, the company carried out developments to the value of EUR 1.6 billion.

COCA-COLA HBC HAS THE COUNTRY’S LARGEST FOOD WAREHOUSE

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The export activity of Coca-Cola HBC Magyarország has tripled in recent years. Today, the company supplies soft drinks, fruit juice and mineral water to 25 countries in Europe. Continuously increasing exports required the expansion of the company's central warehouse base, thus a new facility has been constructed at Coca-Cola's headquarters in Dunaharaszti, south of Budapest, with an investment of EUR 6.5 million.

Coca-Cola HBC Magyarország Ltd. is a member of the Swiss-based Coca-Cola HBC AG Group, which serves almost 600 million consumers and covers 28 countries. The company, which operates two bottling plants in Hungary, has become the largest exporter in the HBC Group in recent years. As one of the most important food-processing companies in Hungary, Coca-Cola Magyarország has invested HUF 116 billion in this country, so far. It currently employs 1,100 workers, and provides jobs to about 13,000 people throughout its activities. Nearly two thirds of the ingredients used for the manufacture of soft drinks (e.g. fruit and sugar) are provided by domestic suppliers, says a report by the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA).

The 12-meter high building with a floor area of 6,500 square meters has room for 8.4 million liters of product on 12,000 pallets in total. With the project, the company's Dunaharaszti base became the largest food warehouse in Hungary. The overall more than five football pitch sized facility serves more than 30,000 commercial units in total.

According to the Managing Director of Coca-Cola HBC Magyarország, Minas Agelidis, “we take any opportunity with which we can expand our activities in this country. Our goal is to be one of our Group's manufacturing centers in Central Europe.”

Coca-Cola HBC Magyarország was the first to enter into a strategic agreement with the Government in 2012. Since then, the company has brought projects worth about HUF 15 billion to Hungary, its sales have increased from HUF 87.5 billion to HUF 106 billion, and the taxes paid by it have increased from HUF 17.7 billion to HUF 25 billion.

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SEVEN DECADES IN THE INDIAN WAY

were globally launched here. The designers, who have exhibited in Paris, Milan and New York, helped us show that Indian outfits are appreciated globally and influence world couture. In addition to this fashion show, we are also looking to organizing more events, such as business fairs across the country and we are also showcasing the economic potential of India so that Hungarians – including Hungarian businesspeople – can see that business can be done there.

INTERVIEW WITH RAHUL CHHABRA, INDIA AMBASSADOR TO HUNGARY

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Democracy as a cohesive force

What is more, we are the only country in the world that made a successful launch to Mars at the first attempt and the cost of it was about one tenth of similar missions. Also, India is the only country in the world that managed to put over 100 satellites in orbit with one single launch vehicle.”

India is a huge country with the world’s second largest population and with a large number of ethnic and religious groups. As to what the secret is of keeping this diverse population a unified country for 70 years, the Ambassador has a very simple answer: “Unity in diversity has been our motto for thousands of years. I think the secret is democracy.

For the last 70 years, we have been proud to be the world's largest democracy; elections are held regularly. At the last elections, the eligible electorate was over 800 million people and more than 66% of that actually cast their vote. It has been a big job to get so many people registered – over 100 million people were registered in the past year alone – and then tabulate the votes, etc. in a way that nobody could have found any sort of irregularity or mishandling of the votes. One other

Alluring India Regarding the anniversary celebrations in Hungary, the Ambassador highlights that “we have been trying to spread the message of the new India, the changing India. So, we thought we should show Hungarians what modern India is about. One way of conveying that message was through a fashion show we did this September - it was called ‘Alluring India’. Top Indian designers showcased their latest collections in Hungary. In fact, these collections O C T O B E R

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DÁVID HARANGOZÓ

In August this year, people all over India and Indians around the world celebrated seven decades of independence; it was on August 15, 1947 that the Parliament of the United Kingdom’s Indian Independence Act 1947 became effective, transferring legislative sovereignty to the Indian Constituent Assembly.

When asked how much India has evolved over these seven decades, the country’s ambassador to Hungary, Rahul Chhabra says “it has been a complete transformation” and he quotes some figures to illustrate the change. Starting with life expectancy, in 1951 (when the census was taken), it was a mere 37 years, while today, it is over 65. “Then, you look at infant mortality, which 70 years ago was 50 per

1,000 babies, a figure now down to below 37.

Seven decades ago, only 12% of the population was literate – today, the literacy rate is 74%.

As for infrastructure, the 400,000 kilometers of paved road has increased to five million kilometers, and the number is growing, as we are adding 23 kilometers of road per day.

India is the third largest producer of electricity in the world. 70 years ago, the electricity capacity was 1,300 megawatts while today, it is 250,000 megawatts. Seven decades ago, the economy was in really bad shape with a growth rate of 2% but we pushed this figure up to 4% and recently to 8% or 9% – sometimes, we see double digit growth. Another aspect of the transformation of India over these seven decades is that the country today is a scientific power. We have launched a mission to Mars.

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BY SÁNDOR LACZKÓ

india focus So, these firms are looking at the long term in that sense and also investing in the community.”

This October, a delegation is scheduled to visit Hungary from India with businesspeople from important areas of business. “We hope it is going to be a big delegation covering automotive components, IT services, agricultural and other sectors. Actually, we have had several delegations before, for instance, the one at the Construma construction fair in Budapest where India was the partner country. Business deals do not necessarily take place during a delegation’s visit but contacts are established. These can be followed

by Hungarian businesses going to India and the deal is realized after a few mutual visits. A visit like this is truly the first step, so, every time a delegation comes, the Embassy gets into top gear and tries to organize maximum number of meetings, as well as exposure for the delegations so that they get the feel of the Hungarian business environment,” the Ambassador points out.

important feature in this respect was the installation of electronic voting machines that were introduced recently. So, we have a democracy where people have the opportunity to express themselves. When they are unhappy they can change the people who represent them or re-elect them if they are satisfied with them. India is growing with that sort of democratic background. That is a very good sign for the rest of the world also. It is a democratic country and with such a diverse population, we have pulled tens of millions of people out of poverty in the last two or three decades since privatization and the opening-up of our economy.

The Indian way

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PIXABAY.COM

In an earlier Hungarian newspaper interview, the Ambassador said that India wants to be successful in its own way. To Diplomacy&Trade, he stresses that the ‘Indian way’ of success is “largely due to our democratic credentials and background. It is a very non-prescriptive sort of way also. We are not trying to follow anyone and we do not necessarily want anyone to follow us. We are not trying to copy any single model which we believe we would not be able to adapt to and/or may not work for us.

We do not want to be very prescriptive and stand on rooftops shouting ‘this is the best way to do it and there is no other way to do it’. Every country is different and is free to find its own way. So, instead, we take everyone along, accommodate everyone's aspirations, take into consideration their viewpoints. Many times, people complain that it takes too long to make a decision but ultimately, when the decision is made, it has all the different elements incorporated. People are satisfied that they have made their points, their voice has been heard to whatever extent possible. In the end, it is a sort of compromise, but it is also a well-founded decision. Some people find the process a little slow and cumbersome but for our large country that is probably the only way to go ahead.”

Excellent relations The Ambassador also has a short answer to how he would characterize Hungarian-Indian political and economic relations: “They are excellent. We had a very successful visit by our Vice President about a year ago. w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

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He had outstanding meetings with the President and with the Prime Minister and with the Speaker of the national assembly – so, it was a great visit. It fell on a weekend, as it was difficult to get a slot in the schedule of the Vice-President, so, we are very grateful to the Hungarian government that they were able to accommodate this visit. Hungary and India cooperate well in the international arena, we support each other's candidates in international organizations. So, there is a great collaboration at that level, also. The Hungarian Foreign Minister has visited India several times in the past two years. Also, just recently, he met our Foreign Minister at the Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia and also in New York as we also use multilateral meetings to discuss issues. So, the political level is characterized by great understanding. Of course, as far as economic relations are concerned, we are extremely satisfied.

The trade volume is approximately USD 600 million.

Although, it is not really at its full potential. It has grown by 28% in first half of 2017. The other very positive sign is investments. I believe this is the new way to do business.”

Investments There are several Indian companies in Hungary.

Large ones like SMR, TCS and Apollo Tyres are present with important investments. Ambassador Chhabra says his impression is that they are satisfied with the economic environment here.

“They tell me that any request they turn to the Hungarian government with, they generally get a quick response. So, they are very satisfied. That was also shown by the fact that in the case of SMR, they have three plants here in the country, they have just opened one in Kecskemét. The fourth plant will be inaugurated this November in Túrkeve and the fifth plant is due to open in March next year. So, the company is expanding rapidly.

Local governments seem to be keen to have these investments because it brings jobs to the region.

The companies are happy because they find a positive environment in which to set up their plants.

All of the aforementioned companies are also cooperating with local universities to make sure that the courses offered there are in line with the industry requirements. Then, these students may – if they want – get a job with one of these companies.

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Tourism Tourism figures between the two countries are increasing and the Ambassador has concrete figures to support that. “About two years ago, we introduced e-visas. It is one way for us to improve the tourism figures. Now, Hungarians do not need to come to the Embassy to get a visa; they just have to go online and fill in everything required. In June 2016, the Embassy issued 152 e-visas, while this number in the same month of this year was 199. In July 2016, the number was 170, while in July, 2017, it was 244. The August numbers also increased from 182 in 2016 to 257 in 2017. The total number of visas is going up, as well. We gave out 3,500 visas in 2015, 5,000 in 2016 and 3,500 in the first eight months of this year. Also growing is the number of tourists from India to Hungary: 4,700 in FACTS COMPARED AREA country comparison to the world POPULATION country comparison to the world POPULATION GROWTH RATE country comparison to the world BIRTH RATE country comparison to the world LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH country comparison to the world NET MIGRATION RATE country comparison to the world GDP - PER CAPITA (PPP) country comparison to the world UNEMPLOYMENT RATE country comparison to the world TELEPHONES - MOBILE/CELLULAR country comparison to the world AIRPORTS country comparison to the world

2013, 5,900 in 2015 and 16,404 in 2016. These are only figures provided by border control, obviously not including those coming to Hungary from within the countries of Schengen zone where there is no internal border control. Indians coming to Hungary now also include a lot of students thanks to the Stipendium Hungaricum program of the Hungarian government, which means 166 additional students this year only. There has traditionally been a large body of full fee paying Indian students who continue to be attracted to the high quality Hungarian education.”

Cultural ties Cultural relations between the two countries go back many-many decades “but the most important link for us is the stay in Hungary (on the shores of Lake Balaton) of the world-renowned India poet Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Being of part Hungarian descent, Amrita Sher Gil was one of India’s leading avant-garde artistes of the early 20th century. In another development, I started a new series of cultural events, the Ganga-Danube festival.

This year, we had the second series in 15 towns and cities while last year it took place in ten settlements all around the country. This is about music, dance, cuisine and fashion. So, it is all of India in culture, even Bollywood films. It is a good sign that, when I visit other cities, the mayors usually ask me about the festival and they want to know why their town or city is not included. I promise to them and that is how we pick up more venues. We also involve the Indian community in Hungary. They come to help as volunteers. The Ganga-Danube festival is in June and many of the programs are open air events. We have a lot of artists coming in from India for this occasion – over 40-50 of them. They are joined by another 50 artists who are Hungarians trained in India in Indian art and culture for several years. The other good thing is the Amrita Sher-Gil cultural center, located next to the Embassy, where we have daily classes of music and dance and they are all fully subscribed. So, we have a full house and now we also have Saturday classes. We have multiple classes in multiple rooms as we are trying to accommodate everyone who wants to come and join us. This is the way Hungarians learn Indian classical dance and music. I believe Indian culture is very well accepted in Hungary and Hungarians seem to be happy to absorb it,” Ambassador Rahul Chhabra concludes.

HUNGARY

INDIA

93,028 sq km 110 9,874,784 (July 2016 est.)

91 -0.24% (2016 est.)

216 9.1 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)

207 75.9 years 92 1.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)

57 USD 26,200 (2015 est.)

70 6.8% (2015 est.)

79 11.786 million 76 41 (2013) 104

3,287,263 sq km 8 1,281,935,911 (July 2017 est.)

2 1.2% (2017 est.)

92 19 births/1,000 population 87 68.5 years 164 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population 83 $6,600 (2016 est.)

160 5% (2016 est.)

63 1,127.809 million 2 346 (2013) 21

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A POTENTIAL SUPERPOWER WORLD’S LARGEST DEMOCRACY CELEBRATES 70 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

BY TAMÁS MAGYARICS

India was essentially underperforming for decades after it gained independence in 1947. In fact, the cards were stacked against her to some extent. The bloody partition of India and Pakistan claimed the lives of some two million people; another 12 million became displaced as Muslims in Punjab and Bengal fled into Pakistan while Hindus and Sikhs headed for India. The Kashmir question has been an open wound ever since; the region is a hostage of Indian and Pakistani claims and counterclaims, as well as the scene of repeated violence. The border disputes provoked a war with China, too, in the early 1960s, and even now, there are skirmishes along the IndianChinese border. However, it was not only disputes with the external opponents that have ended in armed conflicts; the ethnic and religious tensions between the Hindus and the Sikhs and the Muslims (who constitute some 15% of the total population of some 1.3 billion) have also left behind a huge number of victims on each side.

Political violence is not unknown, either; Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her son, Rajiv Gandhi were both assassinated, as well as numerous other casualties of politically motivated attacks.

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7% lately, though, there is a falling tendency in the past few months (the quarter ending in June 2017 produced 5.7% growth). The Janusface of the Indian economy is reflected by the fact that while clean water and proper sanitary conditions are a problem for hundreds of millions, India is a nuclear and space power as well.

Huge potential The economic figures indicate that the middle class, which is supposed to be the backbone of any technologically advanced and high growth economy, is not as strong as it should be. Less than a quarter of the people (some 300 million) are regarded as members of the middle class; but only 2% of the people own cars (among others, the Tata Group would like to make drastic changes in this respect), and only as few as 4% of the people pay income tax. India’s society was notoriously divided into castes which prolonged rigid social structures and prevented social mobility necessary for a modern (or even post-modern) society. Prime Minister Modi has taken steps to do away the inequalities and differences based on castes and religion; moreover, he also endeavors to fight against the division of the federal country

member of the G20 group of the strongest economies in the world; while it carefully nurtures its credentials regionally as a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank AIIB). Its membership in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is not without contradictions as Pakistan is also a member in the grouping. Membership in numerous multilateral organizations may well serve as a hedge against a relatively exposed geopolitical and geostrategic position. The actual and hidden conflicts with China and Pakistan, and the cooperation of these two countries are seen as the primary security challenges in India, but the era of ethnic and religious conflicts within the country are not over yet, either. India seems to have made a strategic shift after the conclusion of the Cold War insofar as moving closer to the U.S.; the future of the Asia-Pacific region and, by extension, that of the whole world is likely to depend, to a large extent, on the dynamics of the U.S.-India-China strategic triangle. India is gradually occupying its proper place in the world, and as a ’responsible stakeholder’ will be instrumental in shaping the 21st century.

composed of 29 states. Further problems include the absence of national insurance and pensions, and a school system that is not adequate either: some 70% of the students drop out of school by the 8th grade. In sum: the potentials are huge; the country has been modernized relatively rapidly of late, but there is ample space to take advantage of all the assets at the disposal of the subcontinent.

Member of a strategic triangle India, as the largest democracy in the world, the sixth largest economy with a military equipped with nuclear weapons, and the second most populous country in the world (but, according to estimates, soon to be the most populous surpassing China in a few years), has raised its profile in the international arena in the past few years. Although, its efforts to become a member of the UN Security Council have been thwarted so far, India has become a vocal member of the BRICS, the group of emerging economies that would like to further facilitate the power shift from the ’West’ to the ’East’. At the same time, New Delhi has joined the IBSA (India, Brazil, and South Africa) Dialogue Forum in the spirit of a South-South cooperation. Of course, India is a O C T O B E R

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The socio-economic picture was rather bleak for a long time, too. The country was mired in a post-colonial economy with a dominant agricultural sector with backward technologies, while the bulk of the manufactured products were only made by India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s major program is ‘Made in India’; that is, to double industrial manufacturing so that it will represent 25% of the GDP within ten years.

The most important elements of this economic agenda include the so-called smart cities program; the construction of power stations; the creation of fiber optic networks; and the promotion of clean energy. Besides the industrial sector, the tertiary one of services is also to be developed fast, especially the finance technology industry. The amount of cash used has already been reduced by a third, and about one billion people have been included into the biometric database. Despite these ambitious plans, the present does not look too promising, at least in comparison with other major countries. For example, it is only about half of the population that use cellphone, and only approximately a third of the people have access to Internet.

Almost every second person is still employed in agriculture, while the service sector employs only about the third of the labor force (in major industrial economies this ratio is closer to twothirds). At the same time, it must also be noticed that the IT industry is the largest employer in India, and India attracted more foreign investment (USD 44 billion) in 2015 than the ’poster child’ of economic growth, China. (It may be added that there are almost as many Indian engineers in the Silicon Valley as Americans.) Overall, India’s growth rate has been quite high, around

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Ambitious plans

india focus

INDIAN FOOD: CASUAL AND FINE DINING

A PASSIONATE ENTREPRENUER’S MISSION TO POPULARIZE INDIAN FOOD IN HUNGARY INDIAN BEER

Saer is also brewing an “amazing Indian beer” in Hungary, which he plans to export to India, the rest of EU and the UK. “The beer, Dasvir is an adventure that actually began in the Dimasa Hills of the Dima Hasao district in Assam.

The original recipe was used during the Dimasa Kingdom between 17th to 19th centuries. On a very small scale, this recipe is still in use back in Assam. Saer and his team are reviving the long forgotten recipe with Dasvir. The beer is crafted to specifically suit Indian food, which can be enjoyed with Curry or Tandoori foods, on a sunny afternoon or any time that calls for a beer," he explains.

This December, Zulkarnain Saer Khan, a 34-year-old dynamic entrepreneur from Bangladesh, will open his second Indian restaurant in the Hungarian capital, the ‘Rajkot Palace’ (named after the fourth largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat). He opened the first one, the Curry House, four years ago because – as he explains to Diplomacy&Trade – “I felt it was high time to start a good Indian restaurant in Budapest.” Now, the reasons are different. “We can see an increase in the number of tourists coming to Budapest. The number of Indian tourists visiting the Hungarian capital has risen significantly. The country is developing, the city is developing, along with the tourism infrastructure.”

Budapest, where home is “I first came to Hungary in 2012, as a visitor, just to see the business opportunities. I had been doing business (contracting and consulting) in the United Arab Emirates since 2007 where things were OK, and I still have some businesses there. but I decided that it would be much more fun to live and work in Hungary. Why Hungary? It is culturally a very rich country, you can go back a thousand years and still find rich Hungarian culture and I wanted to raise my children in such a place, where people are rich in culture and

photos by COURTESY

PICTURE, DÁVID HARANGOZÓ

education. In addition, Hungary is an affordable destination for foreign tourists, good value for money. What is more, the city is beautiful – for me, it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I say that having traveled extensively. No other city attracts me the way Budapest does; I truly feel Budapest is where home is! My kids are here, my wife is here and we have very good friends here. We look forward to growing old in Budapest.

Genuine Indian food from the true sources The restaurant owner believes that “eating at Curry House is about much more than just the food. The dining experience that we offer is w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

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unique in that the food at Curry House is not pre-cooked. Everything is freshly cooked once we have received the order from the guests. We want to give people the opportunity to spend a good amount of time in the company of their loved ones and enjoy the Indian hospitality in the way we care for them. Also, when the food is cooked freshly, the detail of the flavours in it.”

Most of the ingredients used at Curry House come from the United Kingdom where it is imported directly from India. Other ingredients are from Indian shops in Austria and some are sourced locally from the ‘Exotic India’ shop in Budapest.

The owner of the latter one also directly imports items from India. The meats served at Curry

House are ‘halal’ to cater to the needs of people with religious requirements.

“As I said, more and more tourists are coming to Hungary and fancier restaurants are opening.

People’s mindset is also changing – not only that of tourists but also of Hungarians. I also serve Hungarians, who are my ‘home guests’ - they make up 70% of the clientele of Curry House. The fine dining concept is gaining ground in Hungary, the capital already has five Michelin-star restaurants. However, there is not really an Indian fine dining place in town. You can say that Curry House is an upgraded version of casual dining.

The new place, Rajkot Palace, will be a real fine dining place. However, we want to bring some interesting change to the traditional fine dining concept. At most fine dining restaurants, guests expect food of 5-6 courses to be served in really small portions and to be expensive. Rajkot Palace will have 5-6-course meals but our portions will be enough to fill your appetite and will be very affordable.”

As for the future, Zulkarnain Saer says that “when we opened Curry House, we wanted to make it a well-known brand and we still have that plan. To position the brand strongly, we have conducted extensive brand awareness campaigns in last few years; the new restaurant is just another step for strengthening our position as well as popularizing Indian food in Budapest.”

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INDIA: DESTINATION FOR DREAM JOBS SURVEY REVEALS THE SECTORS JOB-SEEKERS IN INDIA WISH TO WORK IN India has emerged as the dream destination for most job-seekers with nearly 60% job seekers looking for their aspirations in the country, says a survey reviewed by the Times of India.

According to a TimesJobs survey, conducted among 1,100 job-seekers in the country, nearly 60% of job-seekers wanted their dream job in India making the country the dream destination for most job-seekers.

Over 40% seek their dream jobs overseas.

It found that while engineering is the dream profile for men job-seekers, women yearned to become a doctor or be in the medical profession.

Among men, nearly 25% job-seekers wanted to be a doctor or medical professional, 20% want to be in the Information Technology (IT) industry, 15% would like to become chartered accountants and 10% are keen to become a lawyer.

The newspaper highlights that among women job-seekers, besides the eagerness for becoming doctor or medical professional, 25% want to be Chartered Accountants, 20% would like to be in IT, 15% wanted to become engineers and 10% would like to be part of the human resource (HR) profession.

Overall, IT is the dream sector with nearly 35% job-seekers wanting to work in the industry, followed by healthcare and manufacturing sector for about 30% each. Nearly 25% jobseekers wanted to be in telecom industry, and another 25% are interested to be part of the automobiles sector, the survey said. Banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) was the choice of 20% job-seekers, while 16% seek opportunities in the logistics sector.

Nearly 15% job-seekers picked retail industry and another 15% choose business process outsourcing (BPO) or Information Technology Enabled Service (ITeS) sector. For 10% their dream sector was consumer durables or fast moving consumer goods (FMCG). The survey revealed that about 55% job-seekers felt they are not currently working in their dream profile. Of these, it said, 65% men job-seekers felt their current role is not their dream role while 75% women job-seekers said the same, while about 70% job seekers considered the industry they are working in as their 'dream sector'.

About 70% job-seekers haven't still been able to get a job in a company they aspired to work, while 25% job-seekers said they have given up on the idea of their dream jobs, the TimesJobs survey added.

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india focus

INDIAN FILM WEEK BOLLYWOOD PRODUCTIONS JOIN THE CELEBRATIONS OF INDIA’S INDEPENDENCE

The Embassy of India and the Amrita Sher-Gil Cultural Center celebrate the 70th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of India by holding a variety of special events during 2017 and 2018. Joining the colorful repertoire of events is an Indian Film Week between October 5 and 11, 2017 at the Puskin Cinema in downtown Budapest. During the Festival’s seven days, the organizers present seven Hindi language productions with Hungarian subtitles for the local audience.

Bajirao Mastani (2015) A love story of two historical figures woven through with legends. It is set in the early 1700s and its hero is Bajirao, the Peshwa (Governor) of the Maratha Empire, who is considered the most prominent general in India’s history. He loved his wife but also married a Muslim princess…

photos by AMRITA

SHER-GIL CULTURAL CENTER, DÁVID HARANGOZÓ

Fan (2016) A young man from Delhi has been living under the spell of Bollywood actor, Aryan Khanna, since childhood. After winning an Aryan look-alike contest, he travels to Mumbai to meet his idol.

That is where the plot thickens with an unexpected turn…

Mohabbatein (2000) A young music teacher applies for a job in an eminent boarding school for boys in Gurukul which is run with iron fists by the dreaded principal, Narayan Shankar. The young teacher, full of life, tries to loosen the strict rules and regulations of the school...

Jodhaa Akbar (2008) By way of divine inspiration, a great Muslim conqueror decides to marry the daughter of a Hindu King to expand his

empire and consolidate his power. Although, every nerve in the girl’s body protests against the political marriage, she agrees to marry him on one condition…

Drishyam (2015) The manager of a cable TV service provider often chooses to spend his nights far away from the bliss of family life watching movies in his office. One day, his elder daughter receives blackmailing messages with compromising photos of her from a teenager…

Sultan (2016) Sultan’s life takes a new turn when he first catches glimpses

of Aarfa, a state-level wrestling champion.

Although, the girl very much likes the man from low social class, she wishes to marry only an accomplished wrestler like herself.

So Sultan decides to win the girl’s heart…

Airlift (2016) A successful Indian businessman living in Kuwait only looks after his own interests and he even sells out his own friends in favor of a good business. He and his circle are shocked at the news of Iraqi troops overrunning Kuwait in August 1990, when the Indians suddenly find themselves in the middle of a war zone.

INDIAN MOVIES

The Indian movie industry, which has the highest annual film production figures in the world, is one of the most dynamically developing movie production machines; around one fifth of the 900-1,000 films made every year in the country is made up by the so called ’Bollywood’ movies shot in Hindi language in and around Mumbai.

These movies represent a unique color in the world’s cinema market, as the traditional pieces called ’masala movies’ which feature an eclectic mixture of different genres is a typical Indian product not found anywhere else in the world. Its roots spring from Indian cultural traditions going back several thousands of years.

Bollywood movies are dazzlingly spectacular, colorful and present many a different genres (like romance, comedy, action scenes, melodrama) making them speak to and touch all social and age groups.

No Bollywood movie is complete without music and a lavishly staged dance scene shot in amazing sets and venues in which the stars dazzle the audience with a huge band of background dancers all performing in a myriad of exotic costumes.

In the past decade, Indian movies have incorporated all manners of influence coming from the West which only made the already versatile Bollywood industry even more diverse: in addition to the classic masala movies the repertoire now also offers youthful, modern romantic comedies, professionally choreographed action movies packed with special effects or satirical and realistic pieces similar to indie movies which enjoy huge popularity in western festivals. w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

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ALLURING INDIA 2017 FASHION SHOW GUESTS TREATED TO INDIAN CULTURE AND CUISINE

In celebration of the 70th Anniversary of India’s Independence, the Embassy of India – in collaboration with the Managing Director of GaitN-Grace, Vinay Gupta – organized the fashion show ‘Alluring India 2017’, a unique maiden display of Indian Traditional & Fusion Fashion in Hungary. And, for the very first time, an event organized by the Embassy had live coverage Instagram and Facebook.

The event was a glittering ceremony on the evening of September 21, opened by the Ambassador of the Republic of India to Hungary, Rahul Chhabra at the Bálna cultural event center, Budapest. Prominent guests included former Hungarian Prime Minster Péter Medgyessy, Deputy State Secretary for External Economic Affairs, Petra Pana, the Director General of Asia Pacific Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Sándor Sipos as well as the mayors of several towns and cities, senior government officials, ambassadors accredited to Hungary, business people, representatives of the Hungarian print and audio visual media, editors of leading fashion publications and over 250 guests. The fashion show featured the latest finely tailored Indian garments such as silk saris, embroidered lehengas and mermaid gowns with ruffles. The collection was about Indian traditional wear with a touch of contemporary ensemble.

The concept of the event was to create an environment of Indian ethos globally through a unique insight into collections of two eminent names in the bridal trousseau industry, Ms. Charu Parashar and Ms. PayalKeyal. It showcased a first-off collection ‘Regal Saree’ and ‘Various Moods’ by Ms. Charu Parashar, ‘The Weaves from the Ghats of Banaras’ by Ms. Salma Sultan and the ‘Contemporary Sari’ & ‘Contemporary Wedding Cocktail’ collection by Ms. Payal Keyal.

As a statement on the event puts it, Hungarian and diplomatic glitterati couldn’t stop raving about the lavish spread as they immersed themselves in the fashion show sipping delectable glasses of Hungarian wine and Indian beer. The event also offered a plethora of Indian delicacies. There was a display of rustic and authentic Indian curry buffet from several states, marinated chicken wings, aromatic biryani, accompaniment with wide variety of Indian breads, palate refreshments and a traditional dessert: Seviyan (vermicelli Kheer).

A glimpse of Indian culture was also showcased with a live demonstration of how a nine-yard Sari pleadby-plead was draped to perfection in different styles. The audience was mesmerized by the beautifully crafted Indian outfit that could be portrayed as an acknowledgement of the skills and talent of Indian hand-weavers. A poem by Subhadra Kumari Chauhan was enacted to highlight the story of Rani Laxmi Bai, who battled her fight to freedom despite being dressed in nine-yard long Langdar sari. The guests also enjoyed a fascinating act by a Hungarian mind illusionist.

The venue, Bálna, a historical brick building embraced in a metal-glass shell overlooking the city of Budapest & Danube River, had a vibrant feel to it and complementing the ambience was soulful Indian music. The night was indeed filled with a rich Indian heritage, to say the least.

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analysis who looks to her for guidance on the future of Europe – no one really knows what Chancellor Merkel really thinks about the future of the EU.

GERMAN LEADER FACES MORE DIFFICULTIES POST ELECTIONS

BY TAMÁS MAGYARICS

Angela Merkel will definitely have a different task than the actors and actresses in the classic British comedy series ‘Carry on…”. There, they usually have the same people in different roles, and there is invariably a happy ending. Chancellor Merkel is bound to be challenged on both accounts in her fourth term as Chancellor of Germany. Despite the obligatory smiles on election night – even Martin Schulz, whose party produced the worst election results since the Weimar Republic times in the 1920s, behaved as if he had hit the political jackpot, though the message he and his party received from the great majority of the voters was anything but – Frau Merkel was figuratively bleeding from a number of wounds, and some of them were self-inflicted.

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Who is responsible?

It is too early to write an autopsy of the rather poor electoral results for the CDU/CSU and the SPD, but the sorry fact is that the two mainstream ’big-tent’ parties have lost millions of voters, and their support has dropped by 8.7 and 5% respectively.

The two main beneficiaries are the FDR and the AfD, which increased their share of votes by 5.5 and 8.5% respectively. Overnight, Martin Schulz found the culprit for the relatively strong showing of the anti-EU, xenophobic and ’law and order’ Alternative für Deutschland (AfD ) party in Angela Merkel, though, he is perhaps more responsible for the rise of the far-right party with the sort of image he projects of a federalized European Union, in which nondescript and bland bureaucrats like himself are bidding their time and unable to come up with sensible policies in face of strategic challenges such as the problems

of the Euro zone, the NorthSouth and East-West divide, the migrants – Europe’s future in a world characterized by tectonic shifts of power above and under the surface.

What about Europe?

In fact, the failing leader of the SPD was right insofar as the de facto leader of Europe, Chancellor Merkel is not in the same league as some of her predecessors, such as Helmut Kohl or Konrad Adenauer.

Angela Merkel is a ’good weather sailor’, who can manage things fairly smoothly if they do not require strategic thinking and bold decisions.

Her preferred modus operandi is to wait until the storms subside, in order to project the image of a considerate and wise politician.

True, the economy is booming, unemployment is at record low, tens of billions in budget surplus have been accumulated at home thanks partly to her steady hand, though, O C T O B E R

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CARRY ON, CHANCELLOR MERKEL!

the painful economic adjustments which made all of this happen were initiated by Gerhard Schröder. Outside of Germany, several factors helped the emergence of this image: with the Brexit, a strong actor left the scene, leaving Germany in a less disputed leadership position within the EU; in contrast to President Donald J. Trump, she is seen as the ’champion of the liberal world order’, while President Hollande looked (and was indeed) a political lightweight, and President Emmanuel Macron seems to be losing altitude very fast in France. In sum, Angela Merkel was at the right place at the right time – which is not something that should be overlooked.

However, when she was forced to make decisions ultimately, she was not on top of the issues, whether it was her face-about on nuclear power in Germany, the handling of the migrant issue or the Greek financial crisis. (In fact, as for the migrant question, her government has quietly implemented a number of measures since 2015 to stop and deter the unlimited influx of migrants from Asia, the Middle East and Africa.) As a good tactician, she has postponed decisions on a number of pressing questions related to, among others, the deteriorating Autobahn system, the growing inequality in the German society, and – what is really important for everyone

Angela Merkel missed a good opportunity to answer at least some these questions at a time when she did not have to bother too much about her domestic political background. Now, she may be forced to address some of the issues in a more challenging domestic political environment.

Chancellor Merkel has to sail in uncharted waters: the most likely coalition comprising the CDU/CSU, the Free Democratic Party and the Greens has not yet been tested, as opposed to the grand coalition with the Social Democrats. First, by definition, it is more difficult to keep together a three (actually four) member coalition (as the CSU clashed publicly with the CDU over questions such as the handling of the migrants) than a coalition of two.

The bargaining power of these small parties are quite strong because there is no alternative for them (the AfD and Die Linke are not considered by anyone as potential partners).

Paradoxically, the CDU/CSU and the SPD were closer to each other on a number of questions, than the CDU/ CSU and the potential junior partners.

Moreover, the liberals and Greens have almost diametrically different ideas on, among others, environment protection and the future of Europe.

The Greens would like to leave NATO at a time when the U.S. is pressing Germany to assume a larger role in regional defense and security in the name of a more fair ’burden sharing.’ There is a real danger that the intra-coalition dynamics of going for the lowest common denominator coupled with Chancellor Merkel’s cautiousness (read: inaction) will result in a situation in which key decisions will be postponed with potentially dire consequences. The bigger picture is not heart-warming, either. Deadlock in Washington has almost become the norm lately, and the current President must have a number of virtues, but strategic thinking does not seem to be one of them. The U.K. is engulfed with the Brexit talks with a government enjoying (if this is the word) only a razor thin majority in Parliament and with an embattled leader within her own party, as well. President Macron is bound to be tied down by the domestic fights over his reforms.

The Atlantic Community was not at its best shape before the German Bundestag election either; the milliondollar question currently is how it will carry on with a cast like this?

ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES

Coalition problems

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tourism SLOVAK TOURISM

COMPETITIVE POTENTIAL

NEW AREAS OF TOURISM ARE OPENING UP WITH THEIR OWN PRODUCTS AND BRANDS Slovak product profile

Neighborly cooperation

Four (V4) group of countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) in 2002. Within this group, all members are represented by their national tourism organizations. “Based on various agreements and approved marketing plans, a number of promotional events are organized every year in the framework of Discover Central Europe, which mainly addresses remote markets such as India, China, the USA and the Latin American countries. These events will showcase the V4 countries as a common target corresponding to the customers' demands.”

As regards tourism cooperation between Hungary and Slovakia in attracting visitors to the two sides of the common border, projects that both countries could benefit from, Árpád Érsek points out that the two countries have long worked together systematically to support regional development and sustainable tourism and offer promotional deals and tourist attractions. “Regarding the border regions, the Interreg VA Slovakia-Hungary program is being implemented at the national level in the 2014-2020 period, with the biggest focus given to priority 1: tourism and its development (Nature and Culture - focal points for protecting, preserving and developing natural and cultural heritage). Thanks to the program, new areas of tourism are opening up with their own products and brands. However, the implementation of the program must respect the environment and preserve natural and cultural values in common areas. After the implementation of the program is completed, the number of visitors from the neighboring countries is expected to increase considerably in the border territories, and in several smaller regions, we expect long-term strategic cooperation in the field of cultural and natural heritage.”

As to what role Slovakia can (or could) play in such projects as the geographical center of the Visegrád Group, the Minister in charge of tourism affairs says Slovakia has a significant geographic location in the V4 region because of the transport corridors. It is a tourism market with competitive potential. During their stay, most tourists travel by car, bus or train and therefore, have to travel through Slovakia. Furthermore, its natural and cultural potential makes Slovakia attractive to tourists even for a little detour during their time in Europe. Our only weakness in this area is that service providers are not sufficiently prepared to receive this type of visitor, and Slovak travel agencies do not even have specific offers for tourists from these remote markets. The fact that these deficiencies are gradually being overcome is proven by statistical evidence, which shows that the increase from these remote markets (USA, China, India, Latin America) was between 8% and 64% compared to the first half of 2016's record year growth.

Visegrád package For overseas visitors, a tourism package the Visegrád countries could be an attractive combination of destinations. In reaction to this remark, the Minister emphasizes that visitors from remote overseas markets are coming to Europe for a longer period of time and want to find more destinations simultaneously led to the creation of Central Europe Four by the Visegrád

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HARANGOZÓ, SLOVAK TOURIST BOARD

Offer to remote markets

photos by DÁVID

“In Slovakia, tourism occupies a significant strategic position in the national economy, due to its natural and man-made potential, as one of the most dynamically developing sectors in the country.

In the best years, so far, tourism revenues amounted to EUR 1.8 billion.” That is how the Slovak Minister of Transport, Construction and Regional Development, Árpád Érsek explains the importance of the tourism sector in Hungary’s northern neighbor.

The Minister highlights that Slovakia is doing well communicating what Slovak tourism has to offer. “In recent years, the number of visitors to our country has been the highest historically. Of course, if we did not advertise ourselves, they would not know about us. New markets have opened up for us, more tourists from Asia have visited and we have produced a total increase of 18%, which is good. Slovak tourism is growing and not just because it is a safe destination or because we are successful in promoting the country. Over the last four years, the Ministry has been extremely supportive of target management, that is, financially supporting regional tourism organizations. These regional organizations create the conditions for business cooperation in their respective regions and create tourism products.” From the point of view of marketing and promotion, it can be stated that medicinal tourism, summer and winter tourism (mountains, hiking, skiing) and urban tourism are among the strongest in the Slovak product profile. “We focus the most on important markets, such as the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria and Poland. We use communication tools such as the National Portal, info centers, special presentations, exhibitions and fairs with the active participation of the tourism industry,” he adds.

business

A VALUE CREATING COMMUNITY PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE CORPORATE WORLD

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fewer and fewer people who do not see the importance of it, so, I am absolutely optimistic about this.”

People through companies

A value-creating community Regarding the attractiveness of BCSDH to its 80 corporate members, Attila Chikán quotes the CEO of one of the member companies by saying “we are a value-creating community for business leaders – and I can only agree with that. It is an organization in which active work is taking place with the personal involvement of senior executives. This requires a real commitment from companies and business leaders alike.”

He adds that BCSDH creates platforms where sustainability issues and their solutions can be discussed in an honest and inspirational way. “I am convinced that with the help of these events, we can achieve a real impact.

What managers take home, to their companies, from an event can lead to positive changes.

Membership enables companies to participate in programs such as our

‘Future Leaders’ talent program, business lunches and breakfasts.

Every year, we hold our annual big event, our business lunch, where – in addition to presenting our professional work and a dialogue – we also have renowned speakers giving insight into the business aspect of sustainability.

We also strive for 2-3 business breakfasts annually to provide real inspiration to business leaders. ” When talking about sustainability, people tend to think it is just a vague idea that costs money with not much return. The BCSDH President’s reaction to that statement is that fewer and fewer people think that way. “There is growing perception and understanding that if we want to live in acceptable conditions we have to deal with these issues, and even from the point of view of the present, we can create a world that is much closer to the principles that we like to represent, that is better than the present world. I think these ideas are spreading rapidly, and there are O C T O B E R

Valuable programs As regards the future direction of development for BCSDH, the President says the primary focus is on moving along the three goals he mentioned. “In addition, our membership system is strong enough – which, of course, does not mean that we are closed to new entrants – and in the future, the main objective will be to work with the existing partners on as many issues as possible. And, if necessary, we can extend this partnership to new players, for example, higher education. We certainly want to continue the ‘Action 2020 Hungary’ program, now in conjunction with the 2030 SDG goals. We are also working on the further development of our ‘Future Leaders’ program. Our primary goal is to maintain the valuable programs that have been successful, so far, but to always find the new form and innovativeness that will keep us up to the standard that encourages top managers to actively participate.”

As an example, he highlights the prize ‘For a Sustainable Future’ launched at the 10th Anniversary.

It is designed to acknowledge – and present in a wider circle – outstanding corporate, leadership and personal achievements in the field of sustainability. “This is the first year we award this in the ‘Change Leaders’, ‘Business Solutions’ and ‘Leading Women’ categories. This is another new initiative that we definitely wish to continue and develop,” the BCSDH President concludes.

HARANGOZÓ, Z. LÁSZLÓ NAGY

What is more, they can do this on-site, in corporate venues.”

In disseminating the idea of sustainability, Attila Chikán says BCSDH focuses on companies, works with companies and wants to reach wider layers of society through them. However, companies are made up of people. “When communicating through fellow workers, towards consumers and towards suppliers, we are extending the sustainability solutions we have. This is called scale-up. So, we want to achieve this goal through the companies and since our membership, with a total of 400,000 employees, is a fairly integral part of the Hungarian economy, I believe this is a pretty powerful approach.”

Attila Chikán is about half way through of his three-year presidency. “When I was elected president, I set three goals. One of these was that I would like to continue the very successful processes and activities. I think that I have managed to achieve this goal. The second thing I said was that I wanted to make BCSDH, our activities and our goals more visible in a wider circle with a more conscious communication. The communication of our events has become broader, more professional and more comprehensible, and thus, it reaches more people. Obviously, this is a continuous activity. The third goal was to build and deepen the relationship with other WBCSD affiliates and policy makers. I am satisfied with our foreign relations because we have an active presence in WBCSD. At the invitation of the German organization, we participated in a broader consultation and our ‘Future Leaders’ program is a benchmark for other member organizations.”

The issue of specific sustainability policies is somewhat more difficult.

“It is where we can achieve more results in bilateral negotiations.

We have yet to see politicians in charge of specific areas proactively ‘pounce’ on this issue but the process has started. The best example to date is the consultation in Parliament on June 16 with the National Council for Sustainable Development (NFFT). This is a slow and difficult process, we still have a lot of work ahead of us,” he adds.

photos by DÁVID

The Hungarian Business Council for Sustainable Development (BCSDH) celebrates its ten-year anniversary, which is a good occasion to look back. “In 2007, 15 companies and one private individual decided that businesses in Hungary should act to promote sustainability. To provide a framework for that, the establishment of the Hungarian branch of the World Business Council (WBCSD) was an excellent opportunity. That was how the Hungarian Business Council for Sustainable Development Public Benefit Association was formed.

In the early years, the focus was on the involvement of similarlyminded companies and a continuous dialogue. Today, the organization has 80 corporate members that produce 30% of the Hungarian GDP and employ 400,000 people,” BCSDH President Attila Chikán, Jr. tells Diplomacy&Trade.

As to what he believes the greatest achievement of BCSDH over this first decade has been, the President points out that “we can be proud of the organization not only when we look at how big it has become, but also when we see the milestones. In 2012, with the CEOs of member companies, we created a core document for corporate sustainability. This guide to business leaders called ‘The Complex Interpretation of Corporate Sustainability’ highlights seven key pillars and has been signed by over 100 companies and organizations. I can also mention the Action 2020 Hungary program, set out in 2014, with the primary purpose to call for companies to take real action through a set of business solutions in the interest of sustainability. During the four years of work since the program’s inception, we have had over 100 scientists, civil and corporate experts and nearly 70 executives participating in the process. There are dozens of business solutions on the action2020.hu website.”

The President also finds it important to mention the ‘Future Leaders’ program in which the 100th talent has been given certificate this year. “This program is unique in its own right as people delegated by our member companies, can learn firsthand – not only from science and civil experts but also from experts of other member companies – about the theory and practice of sustainability.

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BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH HONG KONG

business

HUNGARY ON THE MAP OF BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE

This September, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin (HKETO Berlin), with the Law Society of Hong Kong and the Hungarian Bar Association, jointly organized a business and legal conference in Budapest on the unique opportunities Hong Kong has to offer Hungarian businesses and lawyers under the Chinese government’s Belt and Road Initiative.

photos by DÁVID

HARANGOZÓ, PETER JUSTESEN COMPANY

The conference attracted about 70 participants, mostly lawyers and legal practitioners in Hungary. Speakers at the legal and business conference included representatives from HKTEO Berlin, the Government of Hong Kong, the Budapest Bar Association, Hungarian government and the academic sector.

Addressing the conference, the Director-General of Investment Promotion of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Stephen Philips highlighted Hong Kong’s unique advantages and strengths in financial services, trade, maritime and logistics, professional and legal services, which contribute to the successful and continued implementation of the Initiative.

The audience was also introduced to the legal business regulations in Hong Kong (with the title ‘One country – two systems’) by Amirali Nasir, Vice President of the Law Society of Hong Kong, including institutions and commercial law, information on registering a company and joint ventures, as well as other key legal aspects for doing business in Hong Kong such as the free flow of capital, including labor law, protection of

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investments, guarantees for intellectual property and tax law.

The Director of HKETO Berlin, Betty Ho introduced the Belt and Road Initiative as the biggest investment and commercial project of the 21st century, covering three continents and over 60 countries. Located in the heart of Europe, Hungary is poised to play a key role in connecting Europe and Asia under the Belt and Road Initiative, Ms. Ho added. On the other hand, Hong Kong is not only ideally located on the Southeast coast of China with easy access to all major mainland cities, it is also home to a large professional services cluster with strong global networks and a preferred base for multinational corporations, international chambers of commerce and global organizations.

Not least, Hong Kong is a regional hub for legal services and dispute resolution underpinned by a trusted common law system and an independent judiciary. “By employing the world-class legal services of Hong Kong, Hungarian businesses can get wider and easier access to the excellent opportunities to tap the markets in China and the wider Asian region,” Ms. Ho concluded.

Introducing Chinese-Hungarian relations, Márton Ujvári, Head of Unit at the China Department of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, held a lecture titled ‘Chinese – Hungarian international agreements and the opportunities’.

‘Hong Kong: free trade and investments. A gateway to China: support for partners’ was the title of the speech by Wing-hin Chung, the Head of Investment Promotion at the Berlin office of InvestHK who presented an offer of institutions supporting commerce and investments in Hong Kong for Hungarian entrepreneurs.

Speaking about Hungarian - Hong Kong - China relations and their business and economic aspects was Dr. Tamás Matura, Assistant professor of Corvinus University, the Founder of Central and Eastern European Center for Asian Studies.

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DUTY FREE WITH PERSONAL APPROACH

DANISH FIRM HAS LONG BEEN SERVING THE DIPLOMATIC WORLD The Peter Justesen Company has been in the duty free business for decades. Diplomacy&Trade asked the company’s Chief Operating Officer, Carsten Ornbo what sort of experience has been gathered over this period that helps them serve their customers in the 21st century. “Even if we are living in a time of fast technology and our business is based on internet shopping, our customers appreciate our personal business-to-business (B2B) approach, high level of customer service, secure shipping, originality of products, two years global warranty and, last but not least, our after sales service. Not only do we provide an award winning website but there is always the personal approach of our agents and customer service.”

The clients of the Peter Justesen Company include diplomats, embassies, consulates, the United Nations and other international organizations as well as expatriates and others – people who enjoy Duty Free privileges. When asked what the most popular goods and services are for these clients, the COO points out that “our basic offer includes more than 7,000 duty free products, such as spirits, wine, tobacco products, cosmetics, jewelry, watches, fashion, chinaware, tableware and household appliances, but we also sell duty free furniture.”

The company has created a special customer club, the 'Royal Diplomatic Club' (RDC). Regarding the benefits of membership, Carsten Ornbo explains the benefits of membership “RDC is our loyalty program for individual diplomats, members can benefit from unique savings of up to 70% off, exclusive member's only products and earn points with every purchase.”

The Peter Justesen Company ships a very wide range of products worldwide. This presents logistic challenges. The COO stresses that since they are shipping ‘sensitive goods’, they must focus on security, choosing reliable transport companies and customs brokers, special packing material and secured warehouse.

The company has just published a new product catalog. The Chief Operating Officer points out that “recently, we have enlarged our assortment of whisky, gin, beer, wines; we also offer non-alcoholic wines. Newly launched are Hermes perfumes, Dior, La Prairie cosmetics and Khiels, jewelry and watches of Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Daniel Wellington, Paul Hewitt, Cluse, Thomas Sabo, Misaki and a luxury assortment of Mont Blanc products, etc. In our Seasonal Magazine 4, you can find a wide range of gifts like wine, chocolate, perfume sets. A special discount of 10% on all furniture is valid till the end of year.

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witty leaks WITTY

IN THIS SERIES, DIPLOMATS SHARE PERSONAL ACCOUNTS OF THEIR EXPERIENCES ON “EXCURSIONS” into Hungarian culture, art, gastronomy & scenery.

LE A K S

LEISURE TIME OR NOT IN HUNGARY A POETRICAL CONTEMPLATION

BY FRENCH AMBASSADOR ÉRIC FOURNIER

As I am seated in front of the Ludwig Museum on this sunny afternoon of September, reading the notes I took during the last months to prepare this article on my leisure in Hungary, tragic events happened in the world. But let me be crystal clear about what you are going to read in this piece of cheap literature. I call this moment ABSENT AGENDA, because it is not an interview but mainly a piece of dreamy drama about life. And since life and death are like interstitial cells, I must start with a quick word about my favorite American poet. Wonder why a French ambassador should wish to pay a tribute to an American poet who died on September 3rd this year? Keep wondering. But l will say that his translation into English of the French poet Pierre Reverdy is one of the best you can find on the market.

the peak of the promenade through the beautiful landscape of the nonsense of leisure: “instead of losing”, which is the title of yet another poem of John Ashbery, let us look for nasty gold and shooting stars in the heart of the Puszta, where I enjoy riding a horse once in a while together with a conductor when he does not rehearse with one of those amazing, fanciful orchestras of Szeged, Miskolc or Budapest.

From wild plains to ruin bars Oh, walking through the wild plains of Közép-Magyarország, Dunántúl or Észak és Alföld where dynasties collapsed and heroes shot fire at the invading Ottoman/ Hapsburgian/Soviet (you pick your choice)!

Oh, such a day existed! Always there was more, yet, we lost our mythologies and are now left ashore without much of a future. So I’d rather play the “Klezmer repertoire” with my fellow musicians on stage, possibly at the Müpa or the Budapest Music Center, two wonderful hang-out places where you guys could meet with Iphigenia in swimming clothes on a Sunday morning, but I rather recommend before they are chopped down, the fabulous ruin bars of this limitless city where girls like to tattoo on their chests “aimer la vie”, which is a strong enough illustration, demonstration, explanation, yes, a powerful persuasion that I should have written this love declaration to Budapest in French instead of using the brexiter’s idiom, but at the same time, how could I have introduced to you, dear reader, a genius poet like Ashbery if I had not used his mother tongue. So, let me conclude with another quote of one of the greatest poet of America in the 20th and 21st century:

Confusion of minds

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▶ RE CE P TION FO R FRE NC H AT H L E TE S AT TH E WO RL D A Q U ATI C S C H A M PI O NS H I PS

Recent history Yes, strange time indeed… So, as the process of producing meaning goes on, let us be clear again: I usually start my day by listening to the uplifting Psalmus Hungaricus, one of the master pieces of Kodály Zoltan. It gives me lucidity to address the local complexities. Over week-ends though, my preference goes to jazz, salsa, cumbia, cha-cha-cha, folk, funk, and other fancy rhythms. That is the kind of music I enjoy playing with “Les Slashers”. Then, I do read poetry aloud in places like the Attila József Memorial in the 9th district, my favorite district, or in the garden of the Petőfi Literary Museum in the 5th district, or at the Bródy’s Studio on Vörösmarty utca, or in any place where breezes come in and elective infinities are rising above our petty lives. Yes, I do that in the name of

Desperate asks how driven batty By climate change, can we not make out A stranger’s silhouette in the dooryard?

higher diplomatic and cultural idealism.

Reading Péter Nádas and Krisztina Tóth and Imre Kertész and László Krasznahorkai and Dezső Kosztolányi – yes, especially this latter one, the poet whose texts in Hungarian procure an immense satisfaction to the humble student of the complex Magyar nyelv, that I pretend to be – and also Júlia Székely and as well Mihály Babits, whose words (I give here the French translation by Ibolya Kurz, quoted in the introduction by André Reszler of “Le livre de Jonas” published by Editions Slatkine in Geneva in 2012):

Je suis affreusement engourdi

Tout comme la Hongrie are particularly accurate, I think, to describe the current times we are living through in Europe.

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Found in “Quick questions”, published in 2012 (and I cannot resist quoting the administrative and somehow scary warning included in the book : “no part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the care of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews”). So, let us consider that I act as en embodied observer in critical times, war and other stuff, such as the imperialism of the law and of the MEANING. This should keep you busy, dear friends and readers, for some time, leisure time or not, but again, tragic time. Need a drink?

I advise a fresh furmint from Mád.

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OF THE EMBASSY OF FRANCE

Music and poetry

photos by COURTESY

John Ashbery has been a major inspiration for many, but not only because his works are puzzling, dazzling and stimulating: the books he wrote, take for instance “Where shall I wander”, are, or could be, an answer to the rather metaphysical question Diplomacy & Trade suggested to me. Indeed, talking about “leisure in Hungary” is equivalent to singing Lied by Schubert to a rhino... At night.

We are going through tragic times. Storms, hurricanes, Irma or Maria, plagues, wars in the Middle East, so we could just say – and here I quote John Ashbery:

We paint the word

“Winter” on the door.

This is accurate when we think about the confusion of minds all around: recently, I visited a synagogue in Mád, a beautiful building marvelously restored, but, oddly, it remains empty because all the Jews left the neighborhood after the tragic year 1944. Then, we read the depressing statistics about empty maternity wards and lung cancer, while other people are commenting on the beautiful but somehow frightening images of a vanishing, ever shrinking nature, as shown through the eyes of Sebastião Salgado, the Brazilian genius who currently presents “Genesis” in the Műcsarnok museum and, oh yes!, talking about leisure and sunsets, as I was leisurely watching the sky turning into fire above Hősök tere the other day, a female soldier with deep blue eyes pulled my shoulder and whispered, as if she knew Ashbery’s verses by heart :

Why are your crying?

I know it’s none of my business, but…

cinema

THE STORYTELLER of FACTS and FICTION

GORDIAN MAUGG IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF HIS LEGENDARY PREDECESSOR

nevertheless, you as a spectator want to join this adventure,” he adds.

Making a ‘counter movie’ In this movie, Gordian Maugg documents – with fictional means – how Fritz Lange researched his movie ‘M’ (whose German title ‘Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder’ translates as ‘A city is looking for a murderer‘). He points out that “Fritz Lang invented almost all genres in cinematography: science fiction, western, adventure – even the crime movie. Of course, in those times, people would not differentiate among the clean profile genres. He himself characterized what he did as ‘film based on facts’. He never said he would make a documentary but he did work as a documentarist. He meticulously studied criminal investigation techniques. The inspector in the movie was a real figure who invented techniques like fingerprint identification and that the crime scene should be thoroughly photographed.”

Gordian Maugg says he worked the same way before making this movie. He read everything about Fritz Lang, even unpublished interviews.

“That is how I began to see in front of me a certain figure of Fritz Lang, how he was talking. For me, it was like creating a character called Fritz Lang.

As a filmmaker, you have to decide what to put into a movie and what to leave out. I saw what Fritz Lang had seen as I searched through the same files as he had, so, I know what info he left out. What I decided to do was to make a ‘counter movie’, meaning that I put into my movie details that Lang left out.”

‘Thesis’ with same technique

photo by BELLE

EPOQUEFILMS/TIM FULDA

This year’s Szemrevaló /Sehenswert/Eyeful Film Festival took place in late September. The event was sponsored by the Goethe Institute, the Austrian Cultural Forum and the Embassy of Switzerland. The very best new films from the German-language world were presented, for the sixth time, in their original language with subtitles or interpretation. One of the guests of the festival was German filmmaker Gordian Maugg whose film ‘Fritz Lang – The other in us’ was shown as part of a block of films dedicated to the legendary director of the first half of the 20th century, Fritz Lang.

“I have always wanted to tell stories.

Very often in the summertime, I spent my vacation in the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) countryside with my grandmother who was a storyteller. Born in 1899, she was full of stories about people and things in the area.

So, whenever, as a film student, I saw archive footage, black-and-white material shot on the streets, I always imagined my grandma would show up and explain what was going on there.

So, my aim as a filmmaker has always been to capture the people, to capture the stories.” That is how film director and screenwriter Gordian Maugg explains to Diplomacy&Trade what brought him to the world of cinema.

Looking at his filmography, one has the feeling that Gordian Maugg has depicted in his movies chapters of German history. “More or less, that is true,” he confirms, saying that it is not by accident that in German – just like in English – story and history are almost the same word. “However, I never did documentary movies but fiction movies, w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

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by making a compilation of the stories I wanted to tell about people mixed with compilations of archive footage.”

Fritz Lang, the pioneer That is the case in his latest movie ‘Fritz Lang – The other in us’ in which the story is about filmmaker Fritz Lang who seeks inspiration for his first sound film by immersing himself in the case of serial killer Peter Kürten. Lang’s first talking movie is the quintessential masterpiece of prewar German film. With its obvious allusions to the social milieu of the Weimar Republic (1919-33), and given its sarcastic depiction of manhunts and mass hysteria, it is no surprise that the Nazis found it subversive.

“I admired Fritz Lang as a film student. His colleagues in the era of the Weimar Republic very often came from theater and they made movies by filming theater performances. Fritz Lang, on the other hand, studied architecture and painting and he successfully integrated these disciplines into the art of cinema. So, it was Lang who invented

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cinematographic lighting, for instance, in order to create space in his movies. If you watch his movies like ‘Destiny’, made in 1921, it really touches you.

When the era of silent movies came to an end, all those working in theater were happy about shooting theater performances with sound. However, Fritz Lang was aware that he would be able to create something very special with the appearance of the age of the ‘talkies’. Just look at ‘M’ with the parallel montages supported by sounds. It is just amazing.

He invented techniques we still use after 90 years,” the director says.

According to Gordian Maugg, the phrase ‘The other in us’ in the title of his movie refers to one of the demons that haunted Fritz Lang throughout his life: ‘Why man does evil?’

Nevertheless, he knew that ‘one must do good’ in life. That was his central theme. “If you see his movies, you notice that it is always dark, people are haunted by their demons, haunted by their guilt, they have to work against their destiny and, in most cases, they fail. No happy ending but,

As to how much facts and fiction were mixed in Gordian Maugg’s first movie ‘The Olympic Summer’ (1993), the director says it was made by more or less the same technique.

He used a hand cranked camera and shot the film on some 10,000 meters of East German 35-mm ORWO film that was thrown out after the unification of Germany. It is a black-andwhite, silent movie with narrator. It is about a young German apprentice butcher who sets out on his bicycle to see the 1936 Olympics, but he loses sight of his goal when seduced by a widowed older woman. They spend an idyllic summer at her lakeside home, but the forces of totalitarianism soon invade their lives. The movie was based on a piece of literature by Günther Rücker. For Gordian Maugg, this movie was his graduation ‘thesis’, which went on to win the highest film prize in Germany, with a hefty amount of prize money. “I was very happy about it. Especially that I had the chance to do a new movie quickly after the first one.

‘The Olympic Summer’ was also an international success, shown in Hungary, too and all over the world. I was travelling around the globe with this movie.” Building on this success, he founded his own company ‘Gordian Maugg Film Production’, which produced some of his films.

Regarding the future, “for cinema, I’m just writing new stories,” he says. Being faithful to historical themes, his next project, commissioned by the German regional broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk/Arte (NDR/Arte), will be about the early history of Berlin, which was a cow village until the 17th century when the French Huguenots, expelled from their homeland, established urban neighborhoods there – a story that promises to be another mix of facts and fiction à la Gordian Maugg.

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society Slovak Constitution Day The Ambassador of the Republic of Slovakia, Rastislav Káčer hosted a reception at the Stefánia Palace cultural event center in Budapest to celebrate his country’s Constitution Day. Guests enjoyed a choir performance.

Indonesian Independence Day In celebration of the 72nd anniversary of Indonesia’s declaration of independence, Ambassador Wening Esthyprobo Fatandari welcomed guests to the Pesti Vigadó event center in the Hungarian capital. The reception was preceded by a cultural program and a fashion show.

Ukrainian Independence Day

Brazilian Independence Day

The Ambassador of the Ukrainian Republic, Liubov Nepop invited guests to the Museum of Military History in the Buda Castle for the celebration of her country’s independence from the Soviet Union. The Ukrainian parliament adopted the Act of Independence in 1991.

The Ambassador of Brazil, Maria Laura da Rocha hosted a reception in the Art Hall in Budapest on the 195th anniversary of Brazil’s independence. The reception was followed by the inauguration of the exhibition 'Genesis' by Brazilian artist Sebastião Salgado.

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This September, four new ambassadors accredited to Hungary presented their credentials to Hungarian President János Áder at the Sándor Palace in the Buda Castle (pictured clockwise from top left): Pieter Andries Vermeulen from South Africa; David Renato Nájera Rivas from Mexico; Volkmar Wenzel from Germany and Robert Kokalj from Slovenia.

HARANGOZÓ, COURTESY PICTURES

New Ambassadors

society Saudi National Day

Chinese National Day

In celebration of the 87th anniversary of the National Day of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom’s Ambassador to Hungary, Mohammed Abdulhadi Al Matrafi welcomed guests in the ballroom of the Hotel Intercontinental Budapest. The festive cake was cut by Ambassador Al Matrafi and some of his fellow diplomats.

On the 68th anniversary of the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese Ambassador to Hungary, Jielong Duan hosted a reception at the RaM Colosseum Theater in Budapest. The reception was preceded by a music and dance performance that presented the cultures of the regions of China.

Maria Theresa exhibition

The German Ambassador to Hungary, Volkmar Wenzel invited many fellow Germans and other guests to his residence in the Buda hills for an election night reception on Sunday, September 21, on the occasion of the general elections in his country.

As part of the celebrations commemorating the 300th anniversary of the birth of Austrian Empress Maria Theresa (also the Queen of Hungary and Bohemia), an exhibition was opened at the Slovak Cultural Institute in Budapest about her life. The exhibition provides an opportunity for the people of Central Europe to remember their common history.

Mexico Independence Day

photos by DÁVID

HARANGOZÓ, COURTESY PICTURES

German Wahlparty

The Ambassador of Mexico, David Nájera welcomed fellow diplomats and other guests in the garden of his residence in the Buda hills to celebrate his country’s independence from Spain in 1821. The event included a minute of silence in the memory of the victims of the recent earthquakes in Mexico.

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SAUSAGE FESTIVAL OF BUDAPEST

OCTOBER 13-15 THE HUNGARIAN RAILWAY MUSEUM, BUDAPEST The capital's largest gastronomic festival, the Sausage Festival in Budapest, will be held for the fourth time, bringing the countryside to Budapest for a weekend.

The main themes of the Sausage Festival of Budapest are traditions, gastronomy and folklore. On the second weekend of October, the Budapest Railway Museum and the adjacent Water Tower Park will be completely filled with tourist attractions (with free entrance between the two parks). The Water Tower Park will the Country House Street, at the end of which the Country House of Békéscsaba will be found, furnished with 140-year-old antiques. There, you can taste the world-famous Csabai Sausages. In the yard of the House, you will find the Children Entertaining House and in front of it, a Story Telling Theater. Next to the Country House, there will be the Petting Zoo where children can feed the pets with fodder. www.disznotoroskolbaszfesztival.hu

SEKLER CAKE ADVENTURE

OCTOBER 13-15 GESZTENYÉS-KERT, BUDAPEST The Sekler Cake (a.k.a. Chimney Cake) is made from sweet raised dough spun into strips wrapped around a truncated cone–shaped baking spit and roasted over charcoal until its surface is of golden-brown color. It originates from the Hungarian-speaking regions in Romania, more predominantly the land of the Székelys (or Seklers), a subgroup of the Hungarian people.

Called "kürtőskalács" in Hungarian, the cake borrowed its name from the stovepipe, which in this region is called flue, and the wooden cylinder on which the cake is rolled looks indeed like a flue. The Sekler’s ingenuity showed that the live coals used for cooking and heating can be used for something else, too. So they have removed the coals from the stove, they were placed on or in front of the oven, and by rolling over and over the cake, they have baked this delicacy.

In December 2015, the Sekler Cake became a Hungaricum (a collective term that distinguishes Hungarian characteristic, uniqueness, distinctiveness and quality). Programs of the three-day festival taking place in a park on the Buda side of the capital include a charity Sekler Cake baking event, quiz shows about the Cake, puppet shows for the kids and concerts. www.kurtoskalacsfesztival.hu

KENT NAGANO AND THE HAMBURG PHILHARMONIC

NOVEMBER 29 THE PALACE OF ARTS (MÜPA), BUDAPEST With a host of successes already behind him in Boston, Lyon, Manchester, Berlin and Munich – the American-Japanese conductor Kent Nagano has served as general music director of the Hamburg State Opera and the Hamburg Philharmonic since 2015. From Brahms the particular two works that Nagano has chosen for the concert are ones that reveal the serene and cheerful side of the composer's identity. The Second Symphony is full of carefree and fluttering joy, while the work's finale practically bursts with energy. Nor does the Violin Concerto dispense with lively good humor, and the work even has a Hungarian connection to it, since Brahms wrote it for his closest friend, the Hungarian virtuoso József Joachim. This perhaps explains why the dance-like rhythms of the closing movement introduce a "heel-clicking” verbunkos theme. The soloist for the concerto will be one of the great violin discoveries of recent years, the 28-year-old Veronika Eberle. She plays the ‘Dragonetti’ Stradivarius. www.mupa.hu/en

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

OCTOBER 15 THE PAPP LÁSZLÓ BUDAPEST SPORTARENA Given the venue, the Budapest audience will see the classical work of Andrew Lloyd Webber, the Jesus Christ Superstar, in a grand presentation. The wondrous Webber rock opera has been played with great success by the Madách Theater in Budapest in the recent years and now will be presented at the Papp László Budapest Sportarena. http://www.budapestarena. hu/program/jezus-krisztusszupersztar

SPAR BUDAPEST MARATHON

OCTOBER 14-15 The 32nd Budapest Marathon is part of a two-day festival all about running. On Sunday, the focus is on the marathon, however, you may also run a 30 km, a marathon in a team of 2 or 4, or a 10 km race. While on Saturday the focus is on shorter distances for the less experienced runners. With distances ranging from 400 m to 42 km, everyone in the family can take part in the running festival.

Participating in the marathon is essentially a running, sightseeing tour of the beautiful Budapest. The course leads through the center of the city, down the famous Andrássy Avenue and across the Chain Bridge. Admire the view of the Buda Castle from the Danube banks and marvel in the panorama of Pest as well as Europe’s third largest Parliament building!

Over 27.000 participants are expected altogether, including more than 6,000 marathon runners and 1,300 relay teams.

In 2016, runners arrived from 79 countries - most of them from France, Britain, and Germany but also from farther distances such as Thailand, Ghana and Vietnam.

photos by

OCTOBER 13 BUDAPEST ARENA Following sold out concerts across North America, Europe, South America and Mexico, Sting’s 57th (& 9th World) Tour, is taking the world by storm with rave reviews from fans and critics alike.

The guitar-driven rock tour, which launched in North America before visiting Europe, Central and South America, Asia and returning to Europe for select summer festival appearances, has added an extended fall tour with new shows in Central and Eastern Europe. This extension means Sting is back in the Hungarian capital after a 5-year-break!

On this tour, Sting is joined by a three-piece band including his longtime guitarist, Dominic Miller, Josh Freese (drums) and Rufus Miller (guitar), with special guest Joe Sumner, as well as accordion player, Percy Cardona, who regularly performs with ‘The Last Bandoleros’. www.livenation.hu/artist/sting-tickets

https://marathon.runinbudapest.com

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STING LIVE IN BUDAPEST

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WHITNEY QUEEN OF THE NIGHT

NOVEMBER 20–22 THE MOM CULTURAL CENTER, BUDAPEST A stunning celebration of the music and life of Whitney Houston, one of the greatest singers of our time.

This award winning production features a stellar line-up with rising West End star Rebecca Freckleton delivering a breathtaking performance as Whitney.

The concert takes the audience on a magical rollercoaster ride through three decades of classic hits that include ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’, ‘One Moment in Time’, ‘I’m Every Woman’, ‘My Love is Your Love’, ‘So Emotional Baby’, ‘Run to You’, ‘Saving All My Love’, ‘I will Always Love You’ and many more!

This show pays tribute to the most highly awarded female artist in the world.

Whitney’s one true legacy was her music which touched most of us at some time in our lives. Share her life and get ready for the greatest love of all in Queen of the Night! momkult.hu

DESIGN WEEK BUDAPEST

OCTOBER 6–15 VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN BUDAPEST This year, the event focuses on career start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises. The guest of honor is the Kingdom of Denmark, where about one tenth of the gross national product (GNP) is produced by innovative creative companies that apply design from a beginning to a strategic level.

Since 2004, Design Week Budapest has been the most important exhibition of the design scene. This year, there will be a 10-day event featuring more than a hundred programs, which, beyond the economic significance of design, draws attention to its social usefulness. The fact that all not naturally created objects and processes around us are the results of design activities is illustrated by the many events of the Design Week Budapest for the general public: those interested are welcome to exhibitions, children’s programs, thematic tours, workshops and other events.

Of course, the events for professionals (roundtables, lectures, conferences, awards) are a decisive part of the program series. designweek.hu

WE WILL ROCK YOU

photos by

RACMOLNAR MILAN, DAVID A. LEE

FROM NOVEMBER 24 BOK (FORMER SYMA) HALL, BUDAPEST Since its debut in 2002, the ‘We Will Rock You’ musical based Queen's world hit songs has been successful throughout Europe and America, even in Las Vegas, and making it into a feature film has been on the agenda for many years. Unfortunately, the Hungarian audience has never been able to see this show since the around-theworld tour did not get to this country. However, in 2017, the Queen musical is coming to Hungary thanks to PS Productions.

The show features well-known Queen songs such as ‘Radio Ga Ga’, ‘Somebody to Love’, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘Who Wants to Live Forever’, ‘We Are the Champion’ and, of course, the title track of the musical ‘We Will Rock You’. www.psprodukcio.com

PIKE-PERCH FESTIVAL

OCTOBER 21-23 SZIGLIGET - LAKE BALATON The Szigliget Pike-perch festival was first organized by the Szigliget Tourist Association in the autumn of 2006 with the intention of creating a tradition. Its purpose was to extend the tourist season and revitalize local businesses. Organizers would like to welcome visitors to Szigliget with a high-quality, program-enriched weekend get-together; a wonderful autumn weekend in the setting of the picturesque atmosphere of Lake Balaton. www.sullofesztival.hu

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wine

"QUE SYRAH, SYRAH...”

october

A LOOK AT THE WORLD’S 7TH MOST POPULAR GRAPE VARIETY Rich, deep red and full-bodied, this fashionable wine has always been synonomous with the northern Rhône valley, but over the past 3-4 decades, wine regions throughout the world have embraced this manly, yet elegant grape. One fable has it that the grape came from the ancient Persian city of Shiraz and travelled to France, but recent DNA tests show that Syrah is actually indigenous to France. No matter what the name or where it originated, pouring a big glass of this rich red is an ideal tonic for the start of the winter blues and an effective way to fight the inalienable instinct to hibernate.

In Australia, Syrah was introduced by a Scotsman named James Busby in 1831 and already 30 years later, it had become one of the most popular varietals. Known primarily as Shiraz, it is regarded as the flagship national grape of Australia. Across the Atlantic, Syrah has developed a cult following in the west coast states of California, Washington and Oregon. While it has not seen the runaway success enjoyed by Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel or Pinot Noir, a dedicated group of American winemakers (dubbed the ‘Rhone Rangers’) has been devotedly working with Syrah since the 1970s, proving that the variety can produce complex, rich wines in all three of the above states. Further south, Syrah has been proving itself in both Chile and Argentina for at least 20 years, and is finding its own style on either side of the Andean peaks. It has also achieved success in New Zealand and South Africa.

The delightful Syrah can run the gamut from delicate to masculine, but typically all are smooth and elegant.

There are many different expressions of the grape depending on climate and terroir, but broadly speaking, wines made from Syrah grapes are full-bodied, earthy rich reds full of warm spices and pepper notes. Some can take on a more savory, smoky and even leathery aroma, while others tend more toward the black cherry and berry flavors. One of Syrah's most valued assets is its ability to produce wines capable of oak barrel SOME TO TRY… ageing and improving over many decades, due to BOCK SYRAH 2013 its acidity levels and the large amount of tannins.

Deep dark purple, masculine and elegant wine with a In Hungary, Eger and Sopron were the first wine long aftertaste. Potent aromas and flavors that lean regions to plant Syrah grapes. Tibor Gál’s first toward blackberries, prunes, chocolate and tobacco.

Mellowed in oak barrels for 18 months, this is an harvest of Syrah was added to his Bikavér; he never extremely full-bodied wine. intended to bottle it as a single varietal. Of course, GÁL TIBOR 2013 SYRAH that soon changed, as he realized how well Syrah Intensely spicy aromas with pepper and cinnamon grows in Eger and what great potential it has. It was and at the same time fresh rosemary and green tea. a huge surprise when Franz Weninger’s 2000 Syrah Nice acids and a soft, juicy in-the-mouth feel.

KREINBACHER SYRAH 2013 became an instant hit with oenophiles. Since then, Garnet colored, intense pepper and red fruits aroma Syrah has become a favorite international variety and taste. On the nose, it is completed by smoky and in this country. These days, it is also grown in the cool mint aromas. Mature, well-integrated tannins Szekszárd, Somló and Villány regions. A number of and acidity, this wine is already enjoyable but with wineries in Hungary are making impressive Syrahs, great potential for ageing. as well as some Syrah blends. Although, it doesn’t TAKLER SYRAH 2015 In this Syrah, it is not the warm tones that dominate, really require any other grape to complement its but rather north winds, a hint of mint, forest fruits flavors, it is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon. and paprika. Lively acids abound in this youthful wine Syrah is also one of the most food-friendly great devotion to the grape’s character. grape varieties, whether for simple suppers or WENINGER SOPRON 2014 fine dining. It’s imposing structure and innate A cuvée of Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon berry fruit and pepper flavors make it a powerful from the hills above Lake Neusiedl. Cool spices, red fruits and deep minerality. accompaniment to the richness of Hungarian paprika-spiced meals and roasted meats.

CELEBRATING THE RED WINES OF VILLÁNY OCTOBER 6-8, VILLÁNY A record number of wineries, nearly fifty cultural programs, a tractor tour and hundreds of performers await visitors to the Villány Red Wine Festival, which is undoubtedly one of the country's most famous harvest festivals. In Villány, the ‘City of Grapes and Wine’, it is a long-standing tradition that the harvested crop is celebrated by locals with a harvest parade and a party that lasts until the morning. This festival, which has taken place on the first weekend in October for the last 30 years, is organized in tandem by the town and the Villány Wine Order, which was founded in 1988. These days, tens of thousands of people attend the three-day event, which is all about popularizing the culture of wine and gastronomy and the preservation of tradition. www.villanyiborfesztival.hu HARVEST DAYS IN TOKAJ-HEGYALJA OCTOBER 6-8, TOKAJ Tokaj, the center of the Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region, has been holding a grapes and wine festival celebrating the harvest, on the first weekend of October, since 1932.

There are plenty of activities for adults and children alike. The weekend-long program will include traditional elements such as the harvest parade, a cooking contest, wine and gastro events, concerts, traditional festivities and, of course, plenty of wine tasting! www.tokaj.hu/esemenyek WINE DAYS OF MÓR OCTOBER 4-8, VARIOUS LOCATIONS This four-day event, closely connected to the harvest, is the most prestigious annual wine event in Mór, a town west of Budapest. Mór is one of the smallest wine regions of the country and is famous for its unique grape variety – Ezerjó (’thousand good’). This is a good opportunity to get to know this quaint and burgeoning wine district.

Visitors will be able to enjoy wine tastings, the wine queen competition, a folk art exhibition, concerts, street balls, a harvest parade, children’s shows and sports programs. www.moribornapok.hu Diplomacy-n-Trade.ai 1 2017. 02. 27. 11:22:30

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gastronomy THE PUMPKIN

FUN FACTS

OUR FAVORITE FALL GOURD

photos by PIXABAY.COM

Saying goodbye to summer is never easy, but there are certain fall foods that you can look forward to that help sweeten the deal. In North America, pumpkins go hand in hand with the fall holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving but their popularity as a food is growing all over the world. An orange fruit harvested in October, this nutritious and versatile plant features flowers, seeds and flesh that are edible and rich in vitamins.

Some historians believe the word pumpkin originated from the Greek word Pepõn, which means large melon. The word was gradually morphed by the French, English and then Americans into the word "pumpkin”. Another theory is that, in 1584, after French explorer Jacques Cartier explored the St. Lawrence region of North America, he reported finding “gros melons.” The name was translated into English as “pompions,” which has since evolved into the modern “pumpkin.”

Pumpkins and squash are believed to have originated in Central America and Mexico. They have been grown in North America for five thousand years and are indigenous to the western hemisphere. Pumpkins are a member of the Curcubita Family of gourds, which includes cucumbers, melons, cantaloupe, watermelons & zucchini. There are hundreds of varieties but they fit into four species/subgroups: Moschata, Pepo, Maxima and Mixta.

Pumpkin is used to make soups, desserts and breads and these days can be found in a myriad of vegetarian foods and meat dishes alike.

Pumpkin seed oil has become a powerhouse super food in many parts of the world. It is one of our neighborAustria’s traditional culinary specialties and has been part of their country’s staple ingredients dating back to the earliest recorded recipes in Syria in 1697. The Styrian pumpkin oil is a European PDO product and is famous for its combination of nutty and fine roasted aromas.

The oil’s thick consistency and greenish, black tone has led some people to describe it as motor oil or black gold. Pumpkin seed oil is suitable for both savory and sweet dishes. It has gained fame as an ice cream sauce alternative and is also often used in soups and baked goods. It is perfect as a salad dressing and with its nutty taste, many people use the oil alone without needing to complement it with vinegar.

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• The pumpkin is technically a fruit, NOT a vegetable.

• Pumpkins are 90% water.

• Pumpkins will grow almost anywhere. They are now successfully grown in every continent except Antarctica (even including cold Alaska!).

• To date, the largest pumpkin ever grown was in Minnesota in 2013 by Tim Mathison, weighing in at 924 kg.

• The largest pumpkin pie ever baked was in 2005 and weighed 918 kg.

• You can eat all parts of the pumpkin: the flesh, seeds and blossoms.

• They were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites.

• Hallowe’en pumpkin carving stems from a Celtic tradition of turnip carving to ward off evil spirits.

• The only Oscar nomination for a film with ‘pumpkin’ in its title was Anne Bancroft as Best Actress in The Pumpkin Eater in 1964.

26 calories) and contains no saturated fats or cholesterol; however, it is rich in dietary fiber, anti-oxidants, minerals and vitamins. The seeds are high in protein, iron and B vitamins.

seed oil because of its richness in antioxidants, high zinc content, and essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The oil has been linked to lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. It also has a naturallyoccurring hypnotic, which converts to serotonin in the body, thereby ensuring a good night’s sleep.

Pumpkin is a storehouse of many antioxidant vitamins such as A, C, and E. The fruit is also a good source of the B-complex group of vitamins like folates, niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin, and pantothenic acid, as well as a rich source of minerals like copper, calcium, potassium and phosphorus. The seeds are an excellent source of dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins and MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acid), which is heart-healthy.

Doctors around the globe have praised pumpkin

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