New Hungarian diplomatic representation opened in Africa

Hungary is opening a diplomatic representation in Dar es Salaam “with regard to opportunities in bilateral cooperation”, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Tanzania’s largest city on Monday.

The foreign ministry quoted Szijjártó as saying at the opening ceremony that Hungary had had a similar office in Dar es Salaam 34 years ago “and the time has come to correct a bad decision to close it.” “Despite a distance of 6,000 kilometres, Tanzania is a key partner for Hungary,” the minister added.

Szijjártó highlighted Tanzania’s commitment to it sovereignty, its cultural and religious heritage, as well as its fight against terrorism, its participation in peace keeping efforts and accommodating refugees.” He said Tanzania was “the most dynamically developing country in Africa” and Dar es Salaam East Africa’s largest city and Tanzania’s economic and financial centre.

The minister said the new office was to accelerate the development of economic ties. Hungary and Tanzania tripled the turnover of bilateral trade in the past ten years, which serves as a good basis for such development, he added.

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“Hungarian companies have showed an increasing interest in Tanzanian markets,” he said, adding that Hungarian firms were “ready to contribute to Tanzania’s success” especially in the areas of food safety, health services and farming.

The representative office will also be tasked with promoting Hungary’s higher education scholarship programme, Szijjártó said. Currently over 100 Tanzanian youths study in Hungary, he said, but added that “it is time we set new goals.”

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“We all know that an ambitious and successful cooperation is not possible without a personal presence …. which cannot be replaced digitally. Reopening our office in Dar es Salaam will herald the beginning of a new, successful chapter in our bilateral cooperation,” Szijjártó said.

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