By Usman Khan

On Wednesday Nov 9, 2022, Key agreements Signed were a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Economic Cooperation, a MoU on Higher Education and a MoU which solidified Maldives-Hungary bilateral relations This is the first official visit from a Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary which shows important breakthrough in the 47-year-long bilateral relationship between the two countries

 His visit came upon the official invitation of the Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs. Many Key agreements have been signed between the governments of Maldives and Hungary to further strengthen the existing bilateral relations between the two countries. The agreements were signed after the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary official recent visit to the Maldives.

His visit came upon the official invitation of the Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs. This is the first official visit from a Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary which in turn marks a significant milestone in the long mutual association between the two countries.

The first MoU on Economic Cooperation reflects the prominence of increasing trade and investment between the two countries and will encourage business linkages, exchange of expertise and convene seminars between Maldives and Hungary. A Joint Economic Commission consisting of officials and experts from both the countries will also be established to guide the development of projects, activities and programmes connected to the agreement.

Further, the second MoU on Higher Education was signed on cooperation in the field of higher education, between the Minister of Higher Education of the Maldives, Dr. Ibrahim Hassan, and Minister Szijjártó. This is an additional protocol to the MoU concluded between the Maldives and Hungary in 2021 regarding the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship programme. The additional protocol to the existing MoU will provide a total of 25 scholarships annually which is an increase of 10 scholarships from the previous 15, to Maldivian students to study bachelors, masters and doctoral level courses from Universities in Hungary.

The third MoU, on Sports Diplomacy was signed between the Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment of the Maldives, Ahmed Mahloof and Minister Szijjártó with an interest to establish and develop close cooperation in the sports sector. The MoU will facilitate organization of sports events, exchange of expertise in sports infrastructure and provide training opportunities.

Further, during the signing ceremony, the Hungarian minister declared that the Hungarian government’s decision to join the VFS Visa facilitation Centre in Malé City and to begin processes in November 2022. Expressing appreciation for this decision, the Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs echoed the Maldivian government’s interest to obtain visa-free status for Maldivian nationals traveling to European Union member states.

During the visit to Maldives, the Hungarian Minister was escorted by an official delegation from the Hungarian government. He paid a courtesy call on President and held official talks with his Maldivian counterpart. He also met with the Minister of Economic Development, and the Minister of Higher Education.

During the official talks with the Maldivian minister, both ministers discussed new avenues to enhance cooperation chiefly in the fields of trade, health, education, youth and sports, fisheries, tourism, environment, and climate change. The official talks also saw the Maldivian FM expressed appreciation for the support provided by the Government of Hungary during his presidency at the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs also reiterated the support of the Maldivian government to Hungarian Ambassador Csaba Kőrösi as the President of the 77th UNGA session. The Hungarian minister in turn congratulated the Maldives on being elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council for the new term. He expressed commitment to augment engagement within the multifaceted sphere to fight global challenges of shared interest.

Throwing light on regional and international issues of mutual importance, the Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed gratitude to the Hungarian government for their aid in facilitating safe passage for Maldivian students in Ukraine in March 2022 and commended the Hungarian government for their crucial role in providing the essential humanitarian assistance regarding the ongoing conflict in Europe.