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Hungarian and Pakistani parliamentary speakers discuss strengthening ties in Budapest
Speaker of Parliament László Kövér held talks with Ayaz Sadiq, the speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, in Budapest, parliament’s press office said on Wednesday.
The meeting coincided with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Hungary and Pakistan, the office told MTI, adding that it also highlighted the “traditional friendly relationship” between the two countries.
At the talks, Kövér said Hungary considered Pakistan a key player in south Asia, which he called “the world’s most dynamically-growing region”. Hungary, he added, was convinced that Pakistan, a country of 250 million people and a fast-growing economy, would continue to strengthen both in the region and the international community.
Kövér added that Pakistan’s non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council demonstrated the country’s growing influence. He expressed Hungary’s appreciation of Pakistan’s contribution to the UN’s efforts, particularly its peacekeeping missions. Hungary, he added, was also aware of Pakistan’s efforts in the fight against terrorism and illegal migration.
Kövér expressed hope that Wednesday’s meeting would allow Hungary and Pakistan to use parliamentary diplomacy as a means to support their intergovernmental cooperation, which had been given momentum by a recent meeting of the two countries’ foreign ministers and a joint economic committee.
Sadiq thanked Kövér for Hungary’s offer of university scholarships to 1,500 Pakistani students each year, emphasising the over-application for places in Hungary’s Stipendium Hungaricum programme. The scheme funds the studies of 400 Pakistani students each year since 2023, the statement said.
The two speakers agreed that they also wanted to strengthen their cooperation in addressing global challenges and taking joint action at international forums. Sadiq invited Kövér for an official visit to Pakistan, which the Hungarian speaker accepted, the statement said.
President Sulyok meets speaker of Pakistan National Assembly
President Tamás Sulyok met Ayaz Sadiq, the speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, for talks in his office on Thursday, the office’s communications directorate has said.
The main topics included strengthening bilateral economic cooperation with special regard to energy, agriculture, food production, railway infrastructure development, water management and defence industry development projects, the directorate said in a statement.
They also discussed opportunities available for dozens of Pakistani students to study at Hungarian universities under the government’s Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship programme, “a flagship of bilateral cooperation in education,” said the statement.
“With its balanced foreign policy, Pakistan, similarly to Hungary, gives priority to mutual cooperation,” it said. The two countries this year mark the 60th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations, the statement noted.
Foreign minister Szijjártó also met his Pakistani colleague
“This year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Pakistan,” Péter Szijjártó wrote in a Facebook post on 19 February after meeting his colleague, Pakistani foreign minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar. “It may sound unbelievable given the distance, but one of MOL’s most significant investments is in Pakistan, making MOL Pakistan’s second largest oil and fifth largest gas producer,” he added.
According to the minister, “The good news is that the company has made three more significant gas discoveries in the last year, and is currently developing a strategy for their exploitation.” Szijjártó also wrote that “Discussions are ongoing on an agreement on mutual protection of investments and we are now providing scholarships to 400 Pakistani students a year.”
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