bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Jimmy Cheung

Hungary is seeking to tap Hong Kong investment amid the Asian financial turmoil.

 The republic will officially open its consulate when the minister in charge of the Prime Minister's Office visits in May.

 The former communist nation is the first to establish a full consulate in Hong Kong since the handover.

 Consul-in-charge Laszlo Vizi said the Asian financial crash was a special opportunities for investors to explore other markets.

 'We feel that Hong Kong has reached certain crossroads. It depended too much on real estate and financial services. We do feel the need to diversify to technology and innovation,' he said.

 He said his mission was 'to put Hungary on the map of the Hong Kong business elite'.

 'Several Asian countries had already chosen Hungary as the centre for their commercial and financial activities in central Europe. We hope that Hong Kong will do the same.

 'If you establish a foothold in our country, you will be able to move to other European countries'.

 He believed the launch of euro had paved the way for a 'resurgence of interest in Europe'.

 Hungary was the eighth most popular tourist country in the world last year, with US$7 billion (HK$54 billion) in investment in various trades.

 Mr Vizi said real estate and tourism facilities, such as the popular thermal spa hotel resorts, would offer lucrative business opportunities for investors.



Hungary's new consulate looks to tap SAR investment