Hungary Pursues Strengthened Cooperation with Cuba Amid Global Challenges

Budapest: Hungary is poised to enhance its cooperative ties with Cuba, focusing on mutually beneficial agreements in science, innovation, and education, according to Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The announcement follows a meeting with his Cuban counterpart, Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, marking the first visit to Hungary by a Cuban foreign minister since 1983.

According to About Hungary, Minister Szijjártó emphasized the potential for collaboration between the two nations, despite a geographical distance of nearly 9,000 kilometers. Notably, the ministers signed agreements aimed at fostering developments in health sciences, including biotechnology and nuclear medicine, which could contribute to achieving carbon neutrality and enhancing food safety. Additionally, the agreement ensures that ten Cuban students will receive annual scholarships to study at a Hungarian university.

Further educational collaboration comes with an agreement between Hungary’s foreign affairs institute
and Cuba’s research institute for foreign affairs, facilitating knowledge exchange for young specialists in foreign affairs. Minister Szijjártó also highlighted his Cuban counterpart’s attendance at the BRICS summit in Kazan, allowing for an exchange of insights from the event.

Looking ahead, Szijjártó noted the forthcoming European Political Community meeting in Budapest, expressing a desire for future dialogues among global leaders to foster connectivity and respectful cooperation, rather than division into blocs. He stressed the urgency of global cooperation to address universal challenges such as war, terrorism, and issues of energy and food safety.

In a related diplomatic stance, Hungary intends to back a UN General Assembly resolution aimed at easing the US embargo on Cuba. Szijjártó clarified that this support aligns with the European Union’s collective position, countering potential criticisms of an anti-West stance. He mentioned an earlier EU-Cuba agreement, hindered by Lithuania’s lack of ratifica
tion, to illustrate inconsistencies in international political discourse.

Minister Szijjártó concluded by reflecting on the historical ties between Hungary and Cuba, which will celebrate their 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year.