BUDAPEST (Hungary) — Thursday’s meeting saw the leaders of four Central European countries urge Moon Jae-in, South Korean President, to invest in a rapid train link between Budapest and Warsaw.
Viktor Orban, the Hungarian Prime Minister, was the host for the Visegrad Group’s four Central European countries’ prime ministers. He said that potential rail investments were the “largest joint enterprise of the V4 nations” — which include Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
Orban stated that South Korea has advanced technology in this area and that a south-to-north travel corridor in Europe cannot exist if (V4) capitals do not have a connection with a fast train. He also said that rail investment will reduce travel time along the 800-kilometer (500 mile) line from 12 to five hours.
Orban stated that “we really hope that South Korean industries will be interested in the development.”
Moon was nearing the end of his nine-day European tour, during which he had attended the Group of 20 summits in Rome and the U.N. summits. climate summit COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland.
Each of the leaders at the Budapest media briefing stressed the importance of bilateral trade relations between South Korea, the V4, and Orban. Orban stated that the V4 had grown 40% over the past five years and reached an all-time high of $20 billion last fiscal year.
Moon described the V4 as a “newly emerging manufacturing center in Europe” and pointed out that the group is South Korea’s second-largest trading partner, and the largest investment destination in the European Union.
Moon stated that the manufacture of electric vehicle batteries is the “main driver” of bilateral cooperation. He also said that South Korea would play a “leading role in the development and transport infrastructures in the V4 countries.
Mateusz Morawiecki (Polish Prime Minister) was also present at summit and said that South Korea should look at the V4 “as the most important partner” in the EU.
Morawiecki stated that more than 30% of South Korean exports to Europe end up in V4 countries. He also noted that “we are open economies” and that we expect our partners to be as open.
Andrej Babis, the Czech Prime Minister, urged South Korea not to compete for a project to rebuild a nuclear power station in Dukovany (Czech Republic), saying that South Korea has “excellent technology” as well as that they had previously held “quite intense talks.”
The Slovakian Prime Minister Eduard Heger stated that the V4 seeks to strengthen cooperation with South Korea in fighting COVID-19. This includes sharing testing equipment, ventilators, and other medical devices.