Second Framework Agreement for Swiss Contribution Fund

The Swiss Contribution Fund Framework Agreement for the second period, including national co-financing, has been signed with Hungary for the use of nearly HUF 40 billion in funding.

The agreement, signed on Tuesday in Budapest, will enable the implementation of developments over the next ten years and will contribute to Hungary's economic growth, the catching-up of disadvantaged regions, job creation, further improvement of environmental protection and health care, and the promotion of research, development and innovation.

Speaking before the signing ceremony, Hungary’s Regional Development Minister Tibor Navracsics said that this is the renewal of a successful cooperation that has already brought tangible benefits to Hungary, and he hopes that the new series of programs will be equally fruitful and productive.

He added that the programs could include a number of areas among the projects to be supported which could lay the foundations for Europe's future, and that Hungary and Switzerland are not indifferent to the future of Europe and the European nations.

He noted that an excellent network of relations had been established with Switzerland. The signing of this agreement is a symbolic act which will both deepen bilateral relations and add another value to the existing broad range of European cooperation, the Minister said.

The Swiss Ambassador to Hungary, Jean-Francois Paroz, said that this signature opens a new chapter in bilateral relations, intensifying cooperation between Switzerland and Hungary in a number of areas.

In her welcome speech, Andrea Studer, Deputy Head of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, said that the signing of the agreement was an important step in Swiss-Hungarian cooperation, further strengthening the relationship between Switzerland and Hungary.

She added that the Swiss contribution of CHF 87.6 million to Hungary will be used to develop a number of areas such as health, vocational training, research and innovation, financing for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, the fight against human trafficking, energy efficiency, water and wastewater treatment as well as minorities and socially disadvantaged groups.