Seuso Silver Returns to Hungary

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SEUSO SILVER RETURNS TO HUNGARY

The Hungarian government has acquired the last seven pieces of the Seuso Treasure, a rare collection of ancient Roman silverware.

“This priceless national treasure, Hungary’s family silver, has its place in Hungary,” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told reporters in Parliament. “We have fulfilled our duty and reclaimed the collection.” In March 2014, Hungary bought the first seven pieces of 4th century Seuso silver, trays and jugs believed to have been a part of the tableware from a villa in the Balaton area of the Roman Empire, after a lengthy international dispute over its ownership. The treasure had been smuggled out of the country and ended up in Britain. The government recovered the first seven pieces at a cost of 15 million euros. Head of the Hungarian Museum of Fine Arts László Baán said the Hungarian government had striven to reclaim the treasures ever since 1990. This has been achieved in two steps, he noted. The second tranche is more valuable from an art-historical point of view, he said, adding that the Seuso treasure, found in Hungary in the 1970s and taken out of the country illegally, is the most significant assemblage of late Roman metalsmith work.

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that combines apprenticeships and to the press at an open day related TREASURES REUNITED vocational training. He noted that to the international army training Bosch would move its logistics hub and exercise programmes Saber The collection was seen by the public for central and eastern Europe to the Guardian 2017 and Black Swan 2017, only once, at an auction in 1990 in New Hungarian city of Hatvan, creating Áder said he trusted that the exercises York, where its asking price had been 250 jobs there. Construction of the would contribute to more effective 100 million euros at today’s prices, 17 billion forint (EUR 55m) industrial international operations in which László Baán, head of the Hungarian park where Bosch will set up the Hungary participates in a way that Museum of Fine Arts, said. Over the automated logistics base will start further enhances its prestige. He said past few years, the government had in days and finish by the end of next Hungarian soldiers are training to be successfully negotiated with two February, Szijjártó said. able to carry out four major tasks over family foundations on compensation The minister announced in January the coming period: protect Hungary’s for handing back the treasure. The that Bosch would bring the logistics borders, carry out duties pertaining government paid 28 million euros hub to Hungary. to the country’s international for the second tranche, he said, Hungary’s state-owned National military commitments such as its adding that this was a fraction of Industrial Park Operating and NATO membership, participate in the collection’s true market value. Development Company will build international peacekeeping missions The treasures now to have been the industrial park on the outskirts as well as disaster management-related reunited with Hungary include a of Hatvan for Bosch, which will lease tasks. plate depicting Achilles and Meleager, 60,000sqm of the area for a period a Defence Minister István Simicskó a jug decorated with animals, an 16 years. Bosch will also commit to said at event that Hungary’s allies amphora, a Hippolytus jug and two raising the value of its orders from local had acknowledged the significant related Hippolytus carafes. The Seuso suppliers by 60 million euros over the strengthening of the Hungarian treasure will be shown to the public in next six years under the arrangement. military’s special operational Parliament every day between noon With the establishment of the capabilities in the recent past. For and 6pm until the end of August. logistics base in Hatvan, Bosch’s the first time, Hungarians have been Thereafter it will be exhibited in the local headcount will rise to 14,700, entrusted to lead a multinational Hungarian National Museum. higher than any other foreign-owned force which hitherto has always producer in the country. been led by the US, he said. In SZIJJÁRTÓ MEETS WITH today’s period of modern warfare, BOSCH EXECS ÁDER: REFORM OF the best soldier puts to use their IN STUTTGART MILITARY DEVELOPMENT special operational knowledge, he HELPS BOOST SECURITY added. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Simicskó said Hungary’s defence Péter Szijjártó met with the heads Hungary and its economy is sufficiently spending would reach 2% of GDP by of German engineering giant Bosch strong for the implementation of a 2024. He said a major element of the at the company’s headquarters in new wave of military development, Zrínyi 2026 scheme was boosting the Stuttgart on Wednesday. Szijjártó dubbed Zrínyi 2026, which will army’s special ops capabilities. said the sides had agreed to bolster Hungarian people’s sense of The Black Swan 2017, which is a strengthen their cooperation in the security, President János Áder said in special ops exercise of the Saber area of dual education, a system Szolnok, in central Hungary. Speaking Guardian series of international

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exercises, is being organised both 2017 and 2018, while imports are jointly by the Hungarian Armed GOVT TO SPEND set to climb 9.2% this year and 9% next Forces, the United States’ Special HUF 60BN ON NATURE year, it added. Operations Command Europe CONSERVATION (SOCEUR) and the command of INDUSTRY OUTPUT US ground forces stationed in The Hungarian government will spend UP 8.8% IN MAY Europe, according to a guide over 60 billion forints (EUR 194.7m) on distributed at the event. The nature conservation developments in Industrial output grew by an annual exercise began on June 23 and the 2014-2020 European Union funding 8.8% in May, the Central Statistical runs until July 26. cycle, a farm ministry official said. The Office (KSH) confirmed, after a developments will be carried out via a decline of 3.4% in April. Adjusted for LMP: ‘STOP PAKS European Union Interreg project dubbed the number of working days, output UPGRADE’ OVER “coop MDD”, which has been set up increased by 6.2%. EARTHQUAKE CONCERNS as part of the Danube Transnational Output of Hungary’s automotive Programme, farm ministry deputy sector, a key driver of industry in the The green opposition LMP demands state secretary András Rácz said at the country, rose by an annual 10.7% in that the government should project’s opening event in Letenye on May, a second reading of data showed. discontinue preparations for an the Hungary-Croatia border. The increase followed an 8.6% decline upgrade of Hungary’s sole nuclear The project, which has a budget of 2.15 in the sector in the previous month. plant at Paks over recent concerns million euros, is being carried out jointly Output of the computer, electronic of a possible earthquake in the by experts from Austria, Croatia, Hungary, an optical products segment— region. LMP’s Péter Ungár told a Serbia and Slovenia, Rácz said. which accounts for a little more than press conference, “It turns out the one-tenth of manufacturing sector government cannot guarantee the KOPINT-TÁRKI LOWERS output—grew by 12.6%. security of residents” in light of a INFLATION FORECAST Output of the food, drink and recently published study which tobacco segment was up by 4.3%, and suggested “serious geological Think-tank Kopint-Tárki has lowered its output of machinery and equipment concerns” around the location of projection for annual average inflation manufacturers jumped by 20.9%. For plant. Ungár also suggested that this year to 2.3% from 2.7% forecast the January-May period, industrial the government’s aim was to draw in April. Its expectation for economic output increased by an annual 5.7%, funds from the Russian loan designed growth this year was unchanged at KSH said. to finance the project and channel 3.7%, but next year growth is forecast Commenting on the data, the them to businesses close to the at 3.5% as opposed to the April economy ministry’s state secretary ruling Fidesz party. “Neither security projection of 3.2%. noted the impact of the start of nor technical considerations will The government targets growth of production at Apollo Tyres’ new plant prevent them [the government] from 4.1% this year and 4.3% in 2018. in Hungary on the May industrial doing so,” he insisted. “An expensive Investment growth is expected to data. Tyre and parts production are Russian loan cannot be turned into reach 17% this year before slowing expected to continue to lift output, cheap Hungarian electricity,” he to 7% next year, the think-tank said. István Lepsényi told public television added. Export growth is projected at 8% for news channel M1.

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