In early November 1956, two news items dominated the front pages of every leading newspaper around the world: the Soviet aggression against a small freedom loving neighbor, and the Middle-east crisis. Well, sometimes it seems as if time has stopped
Mahnoor Ansar
ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of Hungary to Pakistan Bela Fazekas has said the frequent political contacts, regular visits and meetings between our two countries provide a solid political basis for the enhancement of our multilevel cooperation.
This year we have continued our bilateral political consultation and we are looking forward to other ministerial level visits in the coming months.
The ambassador made these remarks on the occasion of the National Day of Hungary. Riaz Hussein Pirzada, Minister for Housing and Works, Senators, Members of Parliament attended the reception. The Hungarian performers stole the show by their mesmerizing cultural performances.
The ambassador further said, trade has doubled in the last four years. There are more and more Pakistani-Hungarian joint ventures in the field of agriculture and water management.
‘The flagship of the Hungarian companies active in Pakistan is the MOL, which has 25 years of presence in this country. MOL is one of the largest foreign investors in the oil and gas industry and the second largest producer of oil in Pakistan’.
But there is something else which makes MOL Pakistan unique among foreign investors. The activity of the company is not only complying with environmental regulations but going much beyond to protect local biodiversity through its nature loving expats, he added.
‘ Let me tell to my Urdu speaking friends that I deliberately used the word Magyaristan instead of “Hungry” which sounds a bit unfortunate. If your national poet Muhammad Iqbal could use the Persian form when he wrote about Hungary, I cannot see any problem to use this version’.
He said, on 23 October 1956 University students took to the streets in Hungary to say no to the oppression and dictatorship. The demonstrations became an armed uprising due to hostile reaction of the communist regime which led to the death of dozens of demostrators. Within a week the new Hungarian government denounced the Warsaw Pact soviet military alliance and called the United Nations General Assembly to recognize the country’s neutrality.
Two weeks later the Soviet military aggression crushed the heroic struggle of the freedom fighters. In early November 1956, two news items dominated the front pages of every leading newspaper around the world: the Soviet aggression against a small freedom loving neighbor, and the Middle-east crisis. Well, sometimes it seems as if time has stopped.
33 years later, in 1989 Hungary regained its independence and peacefully transitioned into a democratic parliamentary republic. The main message of the 1956 revolution and freedom fight was that the Hungarian people would never bow to totalitarian rule nor accept permanent isolation from their fellow Europeans with whom they share the same values.
‘The ambassador further said , next year we will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between our two countries. A few weeks ago one of my fellow Ambassadors asked me what was my greatest achievement during my two terms as Ambassador in this country. There might be a few, but one is certainly among them. This is the discovery that our relations with this part of the world are much older than our diplomatic relations. My research in different archives led to the discovery of those longtime forgotten intellectual footprints what Hungarians- artists, professors, doctors, orientalists among them- left behind in the 19th and early 20th century while living and working in this part of the subcontinent’.
The ambassador said, a few years back we had proposed to our Pakistani friends to share our rich experiences by signing a cooperation agreement in the field of sport.
‘Without hinting on any direct link, let me tell you that there were times when Hungary won gold medal in javelin throw in the Olympics. This year in Paris it was Pakistan. I congratulate to Arshad Nadeem from all my heart’.
Another area is education where Hungary and Pakistan share a strong bond of cooperation. Ten years ago, nobody in this country was even considering to study in Hungary. Today Hungary is among the top 10 destinations for Pakistani students wanting to study abroad, Ambassador Fazekas added.
He said, Hungary provides 400 Fully Funded Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarships for Pakistani Students every year.
And you have to add to this number 6-7 hundred more who are on self-founding basis. Today the Pakistani diaspora in Hungary is the most highly educated in the world regardless how big or small it is, he concluded.
