Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid has met with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Péter Szijjártó.

The Maldivian minister held the meeting as part of his ongoing official visit to Hungary. FM Shahid touched down in Budapest on Wednesday.

The meeting with his Hungarian counterpart was held on Thursday and saw discussions held on the growing partnership between Maldives and Hungary.

Taking to Twitter following his meeting, FM Shahid noted that his Hungarian counterpart’s visit to the Maldives in 2022 significantly enhanced relations between the two countries.

He went on to note that their discussions on Thursday revolved around a broad range of issues, including trade, tourism, education and sports.

The Maldivian minister expressed confidence that the ties between Maldives and Hungary only stand to grow stronger in the future.

Topics of discussion between the two ministers included boosting tourism cooperation, reducing tariffs on Maldivian fish exports, easier facilitation of Schengen visa for Maldivians and cooperation in higher education and sports.

The ministers also discussed environment protection and combating climate change as well as working together at the United Nations and multilateral platforms.

FM Shahid also expressed his gratitude to Minister Szijjártó for the generous support extended by the Hungarian government, particularly for the scholarships provided to Maldivian students to study in Hungary under the Stipendium Hungaricum Programme.

He went on to express gratitude to the government of Hungary for joining the VFS Visa Facilitation Center in Malé City, consecutively making it easier for Maldivians to obtain Hungarian visa.

Thursday’s meeting also saw both foreign ministers reaffirming their mutual commitment to elevate the existing bilateral relations between the two countries to new heights.

The meeting held in Budapest was joined by Chief of Staff at the President’s Office Ali Zahir, Bilateral Secretary Dr. Hala Hameed and Assistant Director Fathmath Lamya Imthiyaz.

In a Twitter post following his arrival in Budapest, the foreign minister expressed confidence that his visit to Hungary would bring the two countries closer and maximize the bilateral collaboration between Maldives and Hungary, as well as cooperation in the multilateral fora.

As part of his visit, the Maldivian minister also met with the Vice President of the Hungarian Parliament, Csaba Hende alongside several other senior government officials.

During these meetings, the Maldivian minister will explore further avenues of cooperation between Maldives and Hungary.