Coming home to Ghana – Interview with the new Hungarian ambassador to Ghana

There is a country where democracy is stable, Christians and Muslims live together peacefully, the economy is improving, and the land is rich with natural resources, such as oil and gold. This is Ghana, where after thirty years the Hungarian embassy is open again. Globoport.hu talked to the new Hungarian ambassador to Ghana, András Szabó.

Globoport: How does such a reopening happen? What tasks await the ambassador?

András Szabó: We returned to Ghana after 30 years, and it’s not an easy task. Imagine moving into a new house – it’s nothing but blank walls. Currently we’re building the embassy, both literally and figuratively. We don’t have much so far; we have to buy cars, we don’t have a landline, we have to manage everything on the internet. But these are just the walls, the hardware, which have to be filled with content.

We have 30 lost years to make up for, and some economic projects of great magnitude to complete, which is the ministry’s primary goal. Of course, serious preparation led to the reopening of the embassy, and Ghana was not entirely foreign to us either. Since Ghana is one of the most stable democracies with the most dynamic economy in the region it was an obvious starting point for Hungarian diplomacy in West Africa. Compared to the other countries in the region, infrastructure is excellent here, which makes it easier for us to establish a base. I myself represent Hungary not only in Ghana, but Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Gambia as well.

But this is not the only reason which makes Ghana an ideal place for diplomacy. We have a huge advantage: Foreign Minister Hannah Tetteh is of Hungarian descent.

Her father studied in Szeged, and he married a Hungarian woman. The Foreign Minister grew up in Ghana, but she speaks Hungarian and regards Hungary with affection. And there are other Ghanaians who studied in Hungary or have Hungarian ties. This environment is really inspiring for me and my colleagues, and we begin our jobs with great anticipations.

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