A professional conference was held on Thursday at the Budapest Balassi Bálint Institute responsible for coordinating the work of Hungarian cultural institutes abroad. The conference was attended by the representatives of Hungarian cultural diplomacy and the directors of Hungarian institutes abroad. The Government was represented by Deputy Prime Minister Tibor Navracsics.

The event commemorates the history of Hungarian cultural diplomacy on the occasion of the fact that the Hungarian Parliament passed the Collegium Hungaricum law, the legislation that laid the foundations for the network of Hungarian cultural diplomacy operating world-wide, precisely 85 years ago.

Thanks to this, there are Hungarian cultural institutes today in the United States, India, Egypt and 16 countries in Europe, and before the end of this governmental cycle, the Hungarian cultural institute may open its doors in Beijing and, according to plans, new Hungarian cultural institutes may start their operation in Croatia, Serbia and Romania. Pál Hatos, Director General of the institute said that, depending on the availability of funds, they would also like to open towards the Near East, the Arabic countries; it would be equally important, however, to have a Hungarian cultural institute in Israel, the country with the largest Hungarian diasporic community.
At the event, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Public Administration and Justice Tibor Navracsics said that it is with the voice of culture and science that Hungary may best prove that a nation is able to stand up. Hungarian cultural institutes abroad do not only communicate the treasures of Hungarian culture; they are the “radiation of the Hungarian nation”, and it would therefore be important to reinforce this system of institutions.

He highlighted that Hungarian diplomacy made good use of the country’s cultural and academic prestige already 85 years ago and discovered the country’s resources inherent in its intellectual life and the strength that stems from culture, language, science and communal existence.

(Ministry of Public Administration and Justice)