Foreign minister highlights cultural diplomacy in letter to Hungarian Institutes

Cultural diplomacy could be instrumental in creating peace “at disturbed times”, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó wrote in a letter to the heads of Hungarian institutes in other countries.

“Cultural diplomacy can build bridges which could not be built through any other means,” Szijjártó said in the letter, which was read out at the annual meeting of institute heads in Budapest on Thursday.

Szijjártó noted that cultural diplomacy was also a foundation for the government’s eastern and southern opening strategies, because “Hungary could be most popularised through presenting our culture, and building cultural and educational ties”.

The minister spoke highly of the success of commemorations of the 1956 revolution organised by Hungarian institutes, and made a special mention of programmes in Poland and Slovakia, as well as the cultural cooperation with China.

The Hungarian foreign ministry currently operates 24 cultural institutes in 22 countries.

Source: MTI