BUDAPEST - Hungary's parliament voted on Tuesday to support Budapest's forthcoming bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

The vote was 151 in favor, 33 opposed and 4 abstentions, which included "yes" votes by the government, the far right, and independents, and "no" by the socialists and greens. Parliament resolved that it would support the objective of the Budapest Municipal Assembly, the Hungarian Olympic Committee (HOC) and the Hungarian Paralympic Committee, which is to bid to host the 2024 games.

At the same time, parliament called on the Budapest municipal government, the HOC, and the cabinet to include as many venues that are outside Budapest as possible, to put a strong focus on environmental concerns, and to think in terms of building a sports infrastructure that Hungary will be able to use on long term, not merely for the Olympics. The MPs called on the cabinet to help Budapest and the HOC in preparing the bid.

A feasibility study has found that hosting the Olympics and Paralympics could be profitable for the national economy. The master plan pinpoints a site in the southern part of Budapest that would house the Olympic Village and many sports facilities, and it also considers several venues in other towns.

Hungary began to consider submitting a bid after the International Olympics Committee (IOC) adopted its Agenda 2020, a strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement designed to make the world's biggest sporting event cheaper and more attractive. The new rules allow the cost of the Olympics to be reduced and smaller countries to submit bids for events held in more than one city or even in more than one country.

Hungary is a founding member of the IOC, and has never hosted an Olympics.

Bids from countries to host the 2024 Games have to be submitted by September 15 of this year, and the IOC will choose the host in 2017. To date Boston, Hamburg, Paris, and Rome have indicated that they intend to bid.