Hungary to open 5 new embassies in Latin America, Africa: minister

Hungary will open five new embassies in Latin America and Africa within the next year and a half, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said here on Monday, according to Hungarian News Agency MTI.

Hungary will open embassies in Colombia and Peru, as well as in Angola, Ethiopia and Ghana, Szijjarto told a conference .

Hungary's presence in these two regions must be increased, he said, adding that economic growth started in Latin America and Africa could be turned to Hungary's benefit if Hungary succeeds in exporting more services especially engineering know-how, info-communications and water management services to countries on these continents.

Currently, 2.3 percent of Hungarian exports goes to Latin America and Africa, while nearly 5 percent of the German and Dutch exports goes to these two regions, Szijjarto said.

Further more, Hungary's Eximbank will open a 3.7-billion-dollar credit line to help Hungarian businesses in the two regions, he added.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told a meeting of Hungarian ambassadors in March that Hungary had opened its doors to the East, so now it was time to explore Southern business opportunities. Hungary needs to complete its opening to the South within the next year or two so foreign policy will be targeting Africa and Latin America, he said. Endit