The impact of Russian capital on the region of North Hungary

Abstract

The study evaluates some key elements of Hungarian-Russian economic relations through the mirror of facts and figures in the region of North Hungary. It comprises the analyses of the
situation of Russian language teaching and skills, the development of Russian-Hungarian trade relations, FDI, and tourism in North Hungary and Hungary in general.
Considering the period of 1996-2002, in North Hungary the number of students studying Russian decreased constantly and at present that is below the national average. Hungary’s
external trade relations improved in the last ten years. In the early 90s, the countries of the
Commonwealth of Independent State were the main trade partners of Hungary. The Russian
slump of 1999 launched a backslide in trade relations between the two countries, but recovery began soon. Nowadays Russia is the 15th in the export and 5th in the import ranking list of
Hungary. The typical Hungarian export goods are tinned fruits and vegetables, alcohol and medicines. Besides exporting a great amount of raw materials, Russia is one of the biggest
energy-suppliers of Hungary. From the aspect of foreign direct investment, North Hungary is the last among Hungarian regions. Though FDI inflow is growing in the region, it is still 3% of the total. The biggest part of the capital comes form Germany and the UK, and just 3% from Russia and Ukraine. Since 1990 a sharp fall can be perceived in the number of foreign tourists in Hungary and especially in North Hungary. Until 2000 the number of Russian and Ukrainian tourists also decreased, but then started to rise. The rate of tourists mentioned above varies according to counties. In Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén their share was 8.5, in Nógrád just 0,47 of total tourists. The conclusion is that we should utilize better the resources and possibilities hidden in the economic and social life of North Hungary. Improving Russian language skills, developing
infrastructure and proper conditions for transport, promoting our sights and values of (Russian) tourist interest would contribute to the development of Hungarian and Russian eceonomic relations.