The European Space Agency and Hungary to develop closer relations

Paris, 04 Apr 2003

On Monday 7 April, in Budapest, H.E. Mr Kálmán Kovács, Hungarian Minister of Informatics, and Mr Jean-Pol Poncelet, ESA Director of Strategy and External Relations, on behalf of the Director General, Mr Antonio Rodotà, will sign a "European Cooperating State Agreement", the first of a series.

This new legal instrument is intended to replace existing cooperation agreements between ESA and European states wishing to establish closer relations with ESA, possibly leading to accession to its Convention. Under this Agreement Hungary will take part in ESA programmes in the fields of space science and radio navigation among others.

The Hungarian Space Office will be the implementing partner in Hungary. ESA has appointed a manager with special responsibility for European Cooperating States, Mr Henk Olthoff, who will work directly with Mr Elöd Both, Executive Director of the Hungarian Space Office.

For further information, please contact:

Henk Olthoff
ESA
Tel: +31.71.565.43.50

Mr Elöd Both
HSO
Tel: +36.1.3010.969

European Space Agency
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/index.ht ml