Qatar is now a key player in world politics, a stable and prominent partner in the Middle East for both the EU and Hungary, Ambassador of Hungary to State of Qatar HE Ferenc Korom has said.
The envoy said this while addressing a gala reception hosted recently at the Diplomatic Club to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution and Uprising of 1848-89 that coincided with Springtime of Nations of Europe.
Present on the occasion were HE Mohammed bin Ali bin Mohammed Al Mannai, Minister of Information and Communications Technology; HE Ambassador Ibrahim Yousuf Fakhro, Director of Protocol Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; HE Ali Ibrahim Ahmed, Dean of Ambassadors and ambassador of Eritrea; ambassadors; dignitaries; members of the Hungarian community, and guests.
The Hungarian envoy thanked Qatar for showing the way by successfully organising the 2022 FIFA World Cup, “which brought relief to all of us at the end of a difficult year. The numerous difficulties and tragedies gave even greater importance to the fact that in 2022 Qatar hosted the FIFA World Cup, which was attended by teams and fans from 32 countries. However, the whole world watched the event thereby symbolising the global human community and solidarity”.
The envoy noted that Hungary and Qatar established diplomatic relations in 1990, and “this year we also celebrate the 20th anniversary of the opening of our Diplomatic Mission to Doha. We have something to be proud of, because in the period between 2003 and 2022, Hungarian exports to Qatar reached unprecedented levels. In this way, we not only recovered from the Covid period, but also set a record”.
He praised the on-going development of Qatar and said he was happy to see that the dynamic development in Qatar did not stop after the 2022 FIFA World Cup. “We are sure that our relationship will be fruitful not only in the field of energy, but also that the level of investments between our countries will increase in the coming years, which will serve the mutual development of our countries,” he said.
Hoping a visit to Hungary this year by the Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, he said that at least eight bilateral agreements are likely to be signed between Qatar and Hungary in 2023.
Both the countries, he noted, share many common values despite the geographical distance of 5,000km. “We count on the cooperation of our Qatari friends not only in the economic field, but also in many other areas.”
Talking about the 175th anniversary celebration, he said, “We commemorate not only the anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution, but also the Springtime of Nations of Europe. Therefore, it is very pleasing that, in addition to our esteemed Hungarian compatriots, the EU representation in Doha and many of our fellow European citizens honoured today’s event with their presence.”
He quoted the thoughts of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on “eternal truths about the current affairs in the world and the relations between our countries in general”.
Concluding his address on the occasion, the envoy said, “Hungarians are fortunate enough to live and work in Qatar, where there is no threat to our lives and we can enjoy many forms of freedom.”
