Islamabad, 4 March 2022 (TDI): The Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi spoke over the phone with the Foreign Minister of Hungary, Mr. Péter Szijjártó on Friday. The ministers exchanged views on the relations between their countries.
Regional developments were another important subject under discussion in the meeting. Qureshi recalled the previous visit of Foreign Minister Szijjártó to Pakistan in 2021 and expressed Pakistan’s wish to enhance cooperation with Hungary in areas of mutual interest.
The Pakistani Foreign Minister expressed concern about the situation in Ukraine and underlined Pakistan’s stance on peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue and diplomacy. He also added that Pakistan’s principled position was based on the importance of a solution under relevant multilateral agreements, international law, and principles of the UN Charter.
He also expressed his gratitude for the help offered by the Hungarian government in the process of evacuation of Pakistanis from Ukraine and shared that he expected continued assistance from Hungary in the border crossing of the Pakistanis still in Ukraine.
The Hungarian Foreign Minister assured that his country would provide full assistance and cooperation to Pakistan in the evacuation process.
The two Ministers concluded the talk with the commitment to stay engaged.
Pakistan and Hungary first established their diplomatic ties in 1965 and Hungary set up its embassy and a consulate in Pakistan in 1970. Pakistan also has an embassy in Budapest. The bilateral relations between the two countries are strong in the areas of economy and defense. And the Hungarian government has provided assistance to Pakistan in crises like the Earthquake of 2005 and the Floods of 2011.
Pakistan and Hungary have good economic relations and bilateral ties. The two countries are trading partners and Hungary had invested a substantial amount in Pakistan’s infrastructure. A Hungarian-based MOL Pakistan Oil & Gas Company has been operating since 2004 in KPK region of Pakistan.
