March 20 has been designated as the international day for la Francophonie. The French language and French-speaking cultural values are celebrated on this day all over the world, regardless of ethnic and geographical differences. This was the day when the Convention on setting up the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation was signed in Niamey, Niger, and today the Agency is called the International Organization for Francophonie.

The Organization has about fifty members and ten candidate countries for membership. There are also some twenty countries, including Hungary, with observer status. French is among the primary foreign languages taught in Hungarian primary and secondary schools.

Foreign Minister János Martonyi appointed Ms Katalin Novák, the Chief of Cabinet at the Ministry of Human Resources, as the Ministerial Commissioner for Francophone Affairs to develop educational and cultural relations with Francophone countries and to maintain contact with the International Organization for Francophonie. The work of the Ministerial Commissioner is based on the close cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Human Resources.

Katalin Novák has worked as the Chief of Cabinet at the Ministry of Human Resources since May 2012, and she was a senior advisor to Foreign Minister János Martonyi in charge of European bilateral affairs.

(Ministry of Human Resources)