Foreign Minister János Martonyi declared that the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) was cooperating with the National Roma Self-Government (NRS), with social inclusion was becoming a part of foreign policy.

Minister Martonyi and Flórián Farkas, President of the National Roma Self-Government, signed a cooperation agreement on January 9, 2014. After their meeting the Hungarian Foreign Minister stressed that they would make efforts to hire more Roma employees at the Foreign Ministry. He recalled that it was the Hungarian EU Presidency that initiated the adoption of an EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies in 2011.

The same year the Hungarian government concluded a framework agreement with the NRS. Minister Martonyi pointed out that they had decided to apply the framework agreement in foreign relations activities and missions abroad because it was an important area for enhancing social cohesion and for advancing the integration of the Roma in Hungary.

The task is now „to fill the cooperation agreement between the MFA and the NRS with substance”, said Mr Martonyi. He added that their cooperation had already begun with the MFA providing assistance to the NRS representative in brussels and through organizing a conference for sharing the MFA’s international experience with the NRS.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)