RIYADH: Hungary’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Balazs Selmeci, aims to expand cooperation between the two countries in the fields of investment, IT, healthcare, and food products.
“We have 28 years of diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, which is not a long period, but we have the political trust and our cooperations in the economic sense strengthened mainly in the field of IT,” Selmeci told Arab News.
“Hungary is very advanced in the IT sector, we can bring here our know-how. With the help of Saudi people we can reach the government and private sectors here in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
During the Hungarian National Day reception hosted recently in the embassy in Riyadh, the ambassador detailed the significance of the national day and highlighted the areas he would like to see cooperation grow between Saudi Arabia and Hungary.
“We are celebrating October 23 as the revolution against the communist Soviet regime,” he said.
Selmeci said that the reception signified the importance of a peaceful life for both regions.
“In a wider sense, we are celebrating our freedom and our peaceful life, which is important also now here in Saudi Arabia as also in our region of Hungary and here in this region,” the ambassador said.
“We have unfortunately very hard and strong conflicts, so the national day here in Saudi Arabia gives us a chance to call everybody for a peaceful solution for the conflicts here in this region and our region,” he said.
When discussing the areas in which he would like to see cooperation grow between the two countries, the ambassador said that he would like to see more Hungarian investors in the Kingdom, which he hopes will result from the first Hungarian-Saudi joint venture in IT scheduled to take place next month.
“In the next month, we have here the first Hungarian-Saudi joint venture in the field of IT,” Selmeci told Arab News.
The ambassador also said that he would be happy to see more Hungarian products on the shelves in Saudi supermarkets.
On the topic of healthcare, Selmeci added that he would also like to see some development between the two countries.
The Hungarian National Day reception featured Josef Terek, a musician, composer, music director and recipient of the Hungarian Cross of Merit, who played a traditional Hungarian instrument called a tarogato.
“He is playing a special Hungarian instrument called the tarogato which has a Middle Eastern origin,” the ambassador said.
“In the 9th century the zurna, which is a Middle Eastern instrument, arrived in Europe and this Hungarian instrument originated from that instrument.
“This is the special part of our evening here,” he said.
The ambassador also revealed that Terek would hold a tarogato masterclass in the Saudi Music Hub during his visit to the Kingdom.
“I am very proud that I can bring him to the Saudi Music Hub. This is the special part of our reception,” he said.
