Hungary opens a new consulate in Cambodia
The government wants to give new impetus to Hungarian-Cambodian relations with the re-opening of a Hungarian consulate in Phnom Penh, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Tuesday.
Cambodia established diplomatic ties with Hungary 65 years ago, two years after winning its independence. The Hungarian government 25 years ago decided to close its embassy in Phnom Penh, Szijjártó told a press conference.
Now the current government has decided to open a diplomatic mission in the Cambodian capital in the framework of its Eastern opening policy, which will operate as part of the Hungarian embassy in Hanoi, he said.
The consulate is expected to boost bilateral relations which Hungary wants to build on mutual trust and respect, the foreign minister said.
The government will support Hungarian companies seeking new opportunities in the southeast Asian market and has created conditions to boost bilateral economic relations with Cambodia, he said.
“Most important of them is our presence in form of a consulate which will serve major economic diplomacy objectives,” Szijjártó said.
In addition, Hungary’s Eximbank has opened a 50 million dollar credit line to finance Hungarian-Cambodian business cooperation, he said.
Szijjártó noted the bilateral water management, agricultural and aviation agreements the two countries will sign during the day in presence of Hun Sen, Cambodia’s prime minister. A meeting of the Hungarian-Cambodian mixed economic committee has also been convened for the end of November, he said.
Further, Szijjártó said
the Hungarian government is ready to launch a 150 million dollar tied aid credit programme to support Hungarian investments in Cambodia’s rural development, digitalisation, food processing modernisation and water management.
In education cooperation, Szijjártó noted that Hungary would double the current 15 state scholarship grants to Cambodian students to study at a Hungarian university.
During his visit, Szijjártó held talks with Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, Economy and Finance Minister Aun Pornmoniroth, Trade Minister Pan Sorasak and lawmaker Suos Yara.
Read alsoHungarian embassy’s new consular section inaugurated in Hanoi
Source: MTI
I wonder how much mr.szijarto’s neverending and mostly fruitless globetrottering and all the totally senseless consulates he is opening in locations of zero relevance are costing to Hungary’s taxpayers.
I also wonder how many friends of Fidesz’s he is allocating to these useless however well paid positions.
Mario, all this travelling has two reasons: he likes the luxury of private planes and helicopters, and is the perfect excuse not to spend time at home with the family