The government of Hungary has announced the decision to join the VFS Visa facilitation Centre in Male and to commence operations in November 2022. The announcement was made during the official visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary Péter Szijjártó to the Maldives on November 9.
In the joint press statement, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives Abdulla Shahid expressed appreciation for this decision and reiterated the interest of the government of Maldives to obtain visa-free status for Maldivian nationals to travel to the member states of the European Union. He also expressed appreciation for the support provided by the government of Hungary during his Presidency at the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and reaffirmed the support of the government of Maldives to Ambassador Csaba Kőrösi as the President of the 77th session of the UNGA. Minister Szijjártó also congratulated the Maldives on being elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the term 2023-2025 and expressed commitment to enhance engagement within the multilateral sphere to tackle global challenges of mutual interest.
On regional and international issues of mutual importance, Minister Shahid reiterated his appreciation to the government of Hungary for their assistance in facilitating safe passage for Maldivian students in Ukraine via Hungary in March this year. He also commended the government of Hungary for its key role in providing the necessary humanitarian assistance regarding the ongoing conflict in Europe.
During the visit, Minister Szijjártó paid a courtesy call to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. Minister Shahid and Minister Szijjártó also held official talks and key agreements were signed to further strengthen the existing bilateral relations between Maldives and Hungary. Minister Szijjártó further held meetings with the Minister of Economic Development Fayyaz Ismail and the Minister of Higher Education Dr. Ibrahim Hassan.
At the official talks, Minister Shahid and Minister Szijjártó explored avenues to enhance cooperation, especially in the fields of trade, health, education, youth and sports, fisheries, tourism, environment, and climate change. Underscoring the importance of enhancing trade and investment between the two countries, both ministers signed an agreement to promote business linkages, and exchange of expertise, and convene seminars between the Maldives and Hungary. Under the agreement, a Joint Economic Commission comprising officials and experts from both countries will also be established to guide the development of projects, activities, and programmes related to the agreement.
It is the first Official visit from a Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary to the Maldives and marks an important milestone in the 47-year-long bilateral relationship between the two countries.