Hungarian FM calls on Maldivian President

Hungarian Foreign and Trade Minister Péter Szijjártó, who arrived in Maldives on an official visit Wednesday, has paid a courtesy call on Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

The meeting took place at the President’s Office Wednesday afternoon.

At the meeting, President Solih and Szijjártó talked about enhancing the existing bilateral relations between Maldives and Hungary, and expressed commitment to strengthen cooperation in areas of mutual interest and benefit.

Szijjártó is in Maldives at the initiation of Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid. Shahid and Szijjártó held official bilateral talks between Maldives and Hungary earlier Wednesday, and signed three key agreements, after which they delivered joint press statements.

One of the agreements was an additional protocol to the existing MoU on Hungaricum Stipendium scholarships originally signed in 2021, which increases the number of annual scholarships offered by Hungary to Maldivian students from 15 to 25.

During Wednesday’s meeting, President Solih spoke about his administration’s commitment to delivering higher education opportunities to Maldivian students, and expressed appreciation for Hungary’s decision to increase the scholarships offered to Maldivian students.

He also thanked Hungary for easing visa facilitation for Maldivians, and for supporting the evacuating Maldivian students in Ukraine back in March, after the Russia-Ukraine war broke out.

President Solih and Szijjártó also discussed enhancing cooperation in various fields of mutual interest, including investment opportunities in Maldives.

They both reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen cooperation between Maldives and Hungary in the coming years.

Szijjártó’s visit marks the first official visit to Maldives by a Hungarian Foreign Minister.