Hungarian Deputy State Secretary visits Kurdistan
Mr. Wintermantel was accompanied by the Ambassador of Hungary to Baghdad, Mr. Tibor Szatmari, and the Director of the Department for Middle East and North Africa, Mr. Geza Mihalyi. The meeting was also attended by the Deputy Head of the DFR, Mr. Karwan Jamal and the Assistant Head of the DFR, Ms. Siham Jabali.
The Hungarian delegation spoke about Hungary's elections scheduled for April 6th, leading to discussions about the Kurdistan Region's ongoing government formation process. Commenting on this, Minister Mustafa said, "We are determined to stand united in a difficult time, and therefore the goal of our leadership is to create a broad based government, representative of Kurdistan’s rich political, ethnic, and religious diversity."
Minister Mustafa briefed the delegation on negotiations between Erbil and Baghdad, latest developments, KRG objectives for genuine power sharing within the framework of a federal, democratic, pluralistic Iraq, the fundamental importance of Iraq's constitution, and the forthcoming Iraqi election. The Minister expressed the willingness of the KRG to strengthen ties with the people and government of Hungary. He said, "We look forward to Hungary's permanent diplomatic presence in Kurdistan, and we are committed to a long-term partnership of mutual interest." Both sides agreed there is broad scope for cooperation and exchange in political, economic, social, cultural, and educational spheres.
A member of the Visegrad 4 and the European Union, Hungary is a valuable partner to the KRG. Mr. Wintermantel congratulated the Minister on KRG’s success story and expressed Hungary’s willingness to participate in the Region's growth. He also applauded Kurdistan as a safe haven where stability and security are driving factors for economic and political success. Minister Mustafa noted the importance of support from European partners for the growth and development of Kurdistan in this regard.
