“The countries of Latin America can no longer be ignored when it comes to handling the global challenges affecting the whole of humanity; therefore, we must have stronger cooperation with them,” claimed Foreign Minister János Martonyi in the plenary session, the closing programme of the two-day-long Hungarian-Latin American Forum (MLAF). The main organiser of the series of events was the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, but the Hungarian Investment and Trade Agency (HITA), the National Innovation Office (NIH), and the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs (MKI) also provided venues for the programmes.

We invited to the Forum the twelve countries which have accredited ambassadors to Hungary (seven states are represented by resident embassies in Budapest, five countries by missions accredited from Vienna), as well as – strengthening the regional character of the event – our Central European partners and the European Union’s high-ranking officials specialised in this region.

The aims of the event were to arouse the interest in cooperation on both sides, to help us to become acquainted with each other and to establish new relations, especially in areas where Hungary had previously had good and functioning relations with most of the countries of the region. In line with these, the participants discussed the state of bilateral relations and the possible courses of their improvement in three areas, which have major potential: political dialogue, business and trade, scientific and technological cooperation. The successful economic forum involving several businessmen and national trade developing agencies was organised by the Hungarian Investment and Trade Agency, while the representatives of science had a dialogue at the National Innovation Office.

The political consultation was opened by Zsolt Németh, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Foreign Ministry. In his speech he praised the considerable economic growth of the countries of Latin America in the last decade and the increased significance of the region in international politics. He emphasised that the Hungarian foreign policy must respond to this change; thus, the global opening stated in the new Hungarian Foreign Policy Strategy pays special attention to Latin America, where, unfortunately, our diplomatic presence has weakened in the last twenty years. In the consultation the Latin American delegations and ambassadors, the representatives of the V4 countries and the Foreign Ministry held a dialogue on the present and future of bilateral relations. The Latin American side welcomed the initiative and praised its topicality, as experts claim that the 2010s will be the decade of Latin America. The participants agreed that it is an important task of the Foreign Ministries and other state authorities to help the public, business and civil sectors of the two regions to become acquainted with each other.

In the framework of the Latin America Seminar organised in the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs, academics and researchers specialised in the region conducted discussions with the participants of the political consultation. Christian Leffler, Managing Director for the Americas of the European External Action Service also gave a short lecture at the seminar.

Foreign Minister János Martonyi opened the closing programme of the Forum, the plenary session in the Foreign Ministry. The Minister emphasised the importance and the topicality of the Forum, as well as the necessity of raising the Hungarian public sector’s and the general public’s awareness of the Latin American region. He highlighted that the countries of Latin America can no longer be ignored when it comes to handling the global challenges affecting the whole of humanity; therefore, we must have stronger multilateral cooperation with them. Mr Martonyi admitted that Hungary’s diplomatic presence in the region needs improvement, and announced that a travelling ambassador would soon again be on mission in five countries of the Andean region. As he said, the number of high level meetings should be increased; therefore, he visits South American states in May.

In the plenary session Christian Leffler highlighted the importance of the EU in establishing relations. Benita Ferrero-Waldner, President of the EU-Latin America and Caribbean Foundation also made a speech, naming the connection of the two region’s societies as the main task of the EU-LAC.

(kormany.hu)