On behalf of all the staff here at Diplomacy & Trade - and Budapest Week Publishing - we wish a very Happy and Prosperous New Year for to our readers - print and online - wherever they may be in Hungary or anywhere else in the world!

Recipients of the ‘Prestige Award’ given to a winery, a wine bar, a wine shop and a restaurant, who all play a significant role in the world of wines, have been honored at a ceremony at the Kárpátia Restaurant in Budapest earlier this month.

On behalf of all the staff here at Diplomacy & Trade - and Budapest Week Publishing - we wish a very Happy Christmas and a nice holiday season to all our readers - print and online - wherever they may be in Hungary or anywhere else in the world!

The Deutsch-Ungarische Industrie- und Handelskammer (German-Hungarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce – DUIHK) looks back at a history of over two decades. Diplomacy & Trade carried a recent interview with the President of the Chamber, Dale A. Martin.

The Bank of China has opened its new Central and Eastern European regional center in Budapest. The bank has had a branch office in Budapest since 2003, serving small and medium size enterprises (SME) sector as well as private individuals.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is lending EUR 100 million to state-owned MVM Hungarian Electricity Ltd to finance the implementation of its investment program for the period 2013-2018. The EIB loan will facilitate development projects.

Hungary, Serbia and China signed an agreement on the modernization of the Budapest-Belgrade railroad on Wednesday. It will be part of a transit route to allow the fastest transportation of Chinese goods form Greek harbors to Europe.

Representatives of the ruling party Fidesz and its small satellite partner Christian Democrats voted this Tuesday to prohibit large-size retail shops from opening on Sundays. No impact study has preceded the ban that is believed to be leading to layoffs.

The LIGA trade union held partial road blockade at 62 points around Hungary from the morning till the afternoon this Monday in protest against a number of government measures which the unions say are disadvantageous to employees.

Based on the actual consumption of households Hungary was the fourth poorest country in the European Union in 2013, according to Eurostat data published on Thursday. Actual Individual Consumption (AIC) in Hungary was 62% of the EU28 average last year.

At a meeting in Bratislava, the Prime Ministers of the Visegrád Group highlighted the importance of Swiss investments in Europe, and with reference to the order of magnitude of those investments, voiced their request that the V4 should benefit more from them.

Hungary’s state-owned power company MVM and Russia's Nizhny Novgorod Engineering Company Atomenergoproekt have signed three implementation agreements for two new 1,200 megawatt nuclear reactors to be constructed at the Paks power plant.

Budapest Week Publishing, the publisher of Diplomacy & Trade, held its Christmas Reception for its partners at the InterContinental Budapest Hotel. Guests included members of the diplomatic community, of the gastronomy industry and businessmen.

Jost Lammers, the chief executive officer of Budapest Airport received a high-ranking accolade from the Hungarian National Association of Entrepreneurs and Employers. He was named “Entrepreneur of the Year” at an award gala held at the Palace of Arts.

The United States Senate has confirmed Colleen Bell as the next American ambassador to Hungary. Her confirmation had been delayed after Republicans, led by Sen. John McCain, raised objections over her qualifications to represent the U.S. in Hungary.