Hungary should follow a more predictable, future-oriented and pro-active foreign policy in order to secure the country's interests, Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai told a conference in Budapest on Thursday.

Hungary's foreign policy is built on the three pillars of the European Union, NATO and neighbourhood policy, Bajnai said at the conference sponsored by Penzugykutato and Allianz Hungaria and entitled "Hungary's place in the world".

"It is in our interest to pursue a clear and predictable foreign policy based on principles and values because in the long term, that's what will keep us on the correct path," Bajnai said.

The premier added that he had recently met the ambassadors of countries that are most important for Hungary from the point of EU and economic links and explained to them that Hungary's future and economic development depend on whether it can maintain the openness, predictability and attractiveness established over the past twenty years.

Hungary, along with the Czech Republic, can boast of the highest per capita FDI in the region. Total FDI in Hungary is 60 billion euros, majority foreign-owned companies have created over 500,000 jobs and account for more than 60 percent of Hungarian exports, he said.

These companies have invested in Hungary because they found its legal system predictable, and saw that legal debates can be successfully settled at court and transparency is at an acceptable level, Bajnai said. Also, they think that there is no direct political influence on market trends, he added.

As long as foreign investors think so, they will come to Hungary, helping the country to develop rapidly, Bajnai said. However, if "bad messages are sent to investors," the trend can change, he added.

One of the most important new chapters opening up for the EU - Hungary's most important partner - is joint energy policy, the prime minister said. Hungary's energy dependence - mainly natural gas - requires that it should see to alternative solutions and create new transit routes, he said.

This is why the Nabucco gas pipeline needs to be built, because it offers an opportunity for gas supplies from alternative sources, Bajnai said. At the same time, there is a need for the South Stream pipeline, which offers gas on an alternative route, albeit not from an independent source, he added. In addition, a pipeline being built in Hungarian-Croatian cooperation will be suitable to supply liquid gas from the Adriatic seaside, Bajnai said.