Budapest Water Summit opens

Hungarian President János Áder opened the Budapest Water Summit conference this Tuesday in the Millenáris Park of the Hungarian capital. The four-day event was also greeted by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

“The issue of water is one that we either win together or lose together,” Hungarian President János Áder said in his opening speech. He stressed that four out of ten people on the Earth do not have access to enough healthy drinking water and if the situation on this front does not change, this could be said of two thirds of the world’s population in 25 years’ time.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon praised Hungary for its leadership role in promoting better understanding and cooperation on water issues.

"More and more countries recognize that water should be the source of common cause, not of conflict or not of concern. Hungary is playing an important international role in this effort. It is a leader in the UN Group of Friends on Water which is promoting wider understanding and cooperation on water issues," he said in Budapest.

In his sppech to the participants of the Summit, the Secretary-General stressed the critical role of water in sustainable development.