The 10th traditional iftar program of the Embassy of Hungary in Ankara was held at a hotel in Ankara, hosted by the Ambassador of Hungary to Ankara, Viktor Matis.

The iftar was attended by Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Yıldız, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, businesspeople, and numerous other guests.

The program began with the recitation of the Qur’an, followed by the call to prayer and supplication at the iftar time. Traditional Hungarian delicacies were served to the guests. In his speech during the program, Deputy Minister Yıldız stated that Hungary is seen as Turkey’s kin and friend in Europe. Referring to the bilateral relations between the two countries, Yıldız noted that the friendship between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban has strengthened bilateral ties.

Ambassador Matis expressed his happiness at coming together during Ramadan despite all the challenges, saying, “We believe that Ramadan is still a unifying force despite many injustices against Muslims and Christians worldwide.”

Addressing the Ukraine-Russia war, Matis commended Turkey’s diplomats as the only serious actor capable of talking to both sides in the conflict in the region. He stated, “Esteemed colleagues, thanks to your efforts, Turkey continues to be an important country regionally and globally.”

Matis discussed the bilateral relations between Turkey and Hungary, noting that President Erdoğan visited Hungary twice and Prime Minister Orban visited Turkey three times in the past year alone. Mentioning the frequent meetings of the Foreign Ministers in Ankara, Budapest, and other cities, Matis highlighted that the most important event of 2023 would be the “High-Level Strategic Cooperation Meeting” on the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Turkey-Hungary Friendship Agreement.

He emphasized that in this meeting, bilateral relations are being developed and elevated to a strategic level, stating, “Our trade volume last year increased by 19% to reach $4.3 billion, we opened unprecedented areas of cooperation in the energy sector, we continue to attract mutual investments, we held our first JETCO meeting with the participation of companies, and we are exploring new horizons in trade and industry.”

Source: aa.com.tr