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GULYÁS: CITY ASSEMBLY, GOVT SHOULD COOPERATE

 

The government will continue in its commitment to state-financed projects in Budapest if there is consensus between the central government and the municipality concerning those investments, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office said.

Gergely Gulyás said that the government had reviewed and expressed its support for the projects under way, but indicated that “a clear position by the municipal assembly is essential”. The government will strive for a “fair partnership” with Budapest’s new leaders and will “observe the principles it has followed in the past nine years”, Gulyás said. He added that a strong and prosperous capital was in the interest of the government, which has served as a basis for their cooperation in recent years. He noted that the combined value of state-financed projects completed since 2010 in Budapest reached nearly 2,000 billion forints (EUR 6.1bn), while projects under way were worth another 4,400 billion forints. Gulyás said the government had already allocated 20 billion forints to the city’s public transport company and 6 billion to the reconstruction of the Chain Bridge and its surroundings. He mentioned the renovation of the third metro line, construction of two sports stadiums, and said that the government would continue supporting those projects “if Budapest wants them”.