Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs Receives Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary in Davao City
From left: DFA Assistant Secretary Maria Cleofe Natividad, Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo, President Rodrigo R. Duterte, Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister of Hungary Péter Szijjártó, Secretary of Defense Delfin Negrillo Lorenzana, Philippine Ambassador to Hungary Ma. Fe Pangilinan at the Presidential Guest House in Panacan, Davao City
03 April 2017 – Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, in Davao City on March 27. The two officials discussed ways on how to enhance bilateral cooperation in all areas – political, economic, socio-cultural – based on the principles of mutual respect and benefit. They also took the opportunity to exchange views on regional issues such as the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the Philippines’ ASEAN chairmanship, and developments in Europe.
After the meeting, the officials signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the Foreign Service Institute of the Philippines and the Institute of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary. They also witnessed the signing of the Cultural Cooperation Programme between the National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines and the Ministry of Human Capacities of Hungary.
In addition to the bilateral meeting with Acting Secretary Manalo, Minister Szijjártó also paid a courtesy call on President Rodrigo R. Duterte on the same day. The President emphasized the need to improve further trade and investment relations and encouraged greater people-to-people exchanges between the Philippines and Hungary.
Minister Szijjártó was in Manila to formally re-open the Embassy of Hungary on March 28 as part of their “opening to the East policy,” meet key Philippine government officials, and promote greater trade and investments between both countries. Hungary opened its first resident mission in Manila in September 1991 but subsequently closed it in 1995. END