Hungary opens new diplomatic mission in African country

Hungary is opening a diplomatic mission in Dar es Salaam, in Tanzania, in September in light of the “huge potential” in bilateral cooperation, Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said in Budapest on Friday.

New diplomatic mission in Tanzania

With the world focused on the two major ongoing wars, the situation in Africa gets less attention than necessary, Szijjártó told a joint press conference with Tanzanian counterpart Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, according to a ministry statement. “Africa has recently faced the most severe threat of terrorism in its history,” Szijjártó said, adding that recurring armed conflicts on the continent led to migrant waves making their way to Europe, causing security challenges.

He said Africa’s fast-growing population was causing labour-market, health-care and education challenges, which certain countries were incapable of handling on their own. “Therefore we continue to urge the establishment of a comprehensive economic and development cooperation scheme,” the minister said, warning that failure to adopt such a programme could lead to “the biggest-ever humanitarian disaster” or Europe having to face “the most severe migration pressure of all time”.

Conflicts can easily escalate

He said Hungary respected the African countries that were stable, pro-peace and seeking opportunities for cooperation. “Tanzania happens to be such a country, and it contributes more than 1,500 peacekeepers to the management of security challenges worldwide, and aims to use its work in the east African community to bring stability to the entire region,” Szijjártó said.