Ambassador Munis: Malaysian-Hungarian relations are cordial and friendly – INTERVIEW
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H.E. Ambassador Francisco Munis is a career diplomat and currently the Ambassador of Malaysia to Hungary. He is also the Malaysian Ambassador to Slovenia and North Macedonia. He talked about his previous diplomatic posts, his favourite Hungarian dishes, the attractions he would recommend you to visit in Malaysia, the Malaysian students studying at Hungarian universities, and he even gave advice to Malaysian tourists visiting Hungary.
Had you visited Hungary in the past before you were appointed Ambassador to Budapest?
Prior to my appointment as the Ambassador to Hungary, I have never set foot in Budapest. Although I did visit some nearby countries and heard a lot about Budapest, it was not opportune for me then to pay a visit. Now that I am residing in Budapest, I have ample of opportunity to visit not only Budapest but the whole of Hungary. It has been over a year now since I last arrived in Budapest and I’ve learned more about Hungary by visiting places and meeting people.
What was your first thought when you were told that the Hungarian capital would provide the setting for the next important chapter in your life?
The eastern European region was foreign to me. Months before my arrival, I took the effort to read as much as I could about the Malaysian-Hungarian relations, the region and the dynamics of Hungary within its region. Indeed, Budapest provided a new chapter in my career and personal life, seeing the world from the Hungarian and eastern European perspectives.
I am also privileged that since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1969, the Malaysian-Hungarian relations is at all times, cordial and friendly. At the bilateral level, both countries have a very good political relation. Both countries also collaborated closely at the multilateral fora. These has facilitated my job to promote and enhance further the friendship between our two countries.
Please tell us a little about your previous diplomatic posts. Which place was the most interesting professionally? And which one was the most exotic?
I have served in several countries for my diplomatic postings. From local culture, politics, geography, demography, environment to its international trade, investment and tourism potentials, every country is different in background and every country is of importance to Malaysia. I would say that all the countries that I have served before including Hungary, were both interesting and exotic in their own way.
Hungary in particular, would be a professionally interesting post, especially in reviving all the pre-pandemic bilateral initiatives that were planned but disrupted during the pandemic years and of course in recommending post-pandemic, new exchanges.
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There are many excellent products made in Hungary. Which Hungarian products would likely be in demand in Malaysia? And what kind of Malaysian products can Hungarian customers purchase here?
If we look at Malaysia’s imports from Hungary, it is traditionally and largely dominated by machineries and electrical related products. Likewise, Malaysia’s exports to Hungary were also largely dominated by electrical and electronic products, as well as machineries and some agricultural commodities, such as palm oil and rubber based products. We would like to see these traditional products be complimented with new ones. We have been encouraging both our exporters and importers and business people to look into new areas such tourism related products, environmental technology, food and services.
Regional conflicts around the globe are on the front page of newspapers. When it comes to international and regional volatility, what is Malaysia’s position?
Malaysia puts a lot of value to its relations with other countries and has always urged all parties to address any volatile situation carefully and in the best manner possible. Conflicts could only lead to consequences. For Malaysia, peace, stability and prosperity must always be maintained, in its own region or in other regions.
Malaysia’s position in any volatile situations has always been in line with and in compliance to international law and the United Nations’ Charter. In promoting peace, Malaysia has always called for efforts to restrain and refrain from provocative actions and promoted to all parties to play role to facilitate peaceful dialogue. Malaysia always believes in upholding the principles of the UN Charter and abiding with the UNGA Resolutions.
In its own region, Malaysia’s position for peace is also reflected in its regional grouping of ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations). For example, Malaysia fully subscribes to the ASEAN’s 1976 Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, which embodies the universal principles of peaceful coexistence and friendly cooperation.
If we look at the recent Joint Communiqué of the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on 3 August 2022, ASEAN and Malaysia in particular continue to reaffirm respect for sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity, as well as reiterating the call for compliance with international law and the United Nations Charter. The Joint Communique also underlined the importance of an immediate cessation of hostilities and the creation of an enabling environment for the peaceful resolution of conflict and supported the efforts of the United Nations in the search for a peaceful solution.
Simply, for Malaysia, peace must prevail.
Let’s come back to Hungary. You aim to raise awareness of Malaysia’s tourism and trade values through a number of events. What are the most important upcoming events organized by the Embassy?
Based on Malaysia’s tourism data, between the five-year period 2017-2021, Malaysia registered 32,259 Hungarians visiting Malaysia with the highest recorded during pre-Covid pandemic years (2017-2019) and fell to the lowest during the Covid pandemic years (2020-2021).
