By Abdelwaheb El Gueyed
VIENNA, June 12 (KUNA) -- The States of Kuwait and Hungary celebrate their relationship 50th anniversary with continuing efforts by the two friendly countries to bolster these distinctive ties.
Kuwait was the first Arab Gulf State that established political, diplomatic and economic relations with Hungary, on May 4, 1964. Two years later, the Hungarian-Kuwaiti trade office was inaugurated in the Gulf State. In 1975, Budapest opened its embassy in Kuwait. In the mid-80s, the Kuwaiti Embassy in Austria was tasked to serve as a non-resident diplomatic mission to Hungary.
Kuwait's diplomatic representation to Hungary has continued through the mission in Austria till November 2007, when Kuwait opened its embassy in Budapest, in response to the Hungarians' desire and out of the Gulf country's keenness on cementing the links with the friendly nation.
Nowadays, the bilateral commercial ties are forecast to be given further boost with inauguration of the Hungarian trade center in Kuwait on June 12, 2014 (today). It will be tasked with aiding Hungarian entrepreneurs launch businesses in the country or invest in the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE).
In this regard, the Kuwaiti Ambassador in Budapest, Dr. Hamad Bou-Rahma, affirmed in remarks to KUNA, on the anniversary of the Kuwaiti-Hungarian ties, that the relations between the two countries have been distinguished, greatly due to 20 cooperation agreements that have been worked out between the two sides since 50 years ago. These accords lay basis for mutual cooperation in the political, economic, scientific, cultural, media, mail, public works, health, investment, aviation and diplomatic spheres.
Ambassador Bou-Rahma said the two-day visit by the First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah to Hungary, due on Thursday, to attend a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the Kuwaiti-Hungarian relations "is of paramount significance.
"It will elevate to a higher level the process of cooperation between the two countries, through the signing of three bilateral accords related to management of water resources, coordination in the sectors of health and agriculture." The two sides, in May, signed agreements for cooperation in aviation transport.
Bou-Rahma, the third Kuwaiti Ambassador to be assigned to serve in Budapest since opening the Kuwaiti Embassy seven years ago, said spheres of cooperation between the two friendly countries are vast and promising, particularly in fields such as oil, petrochemicals, health, tourism, investments and teaching.
Hungary was among the first nations that had rebuffed the 1990 blatant Iraqi aggression on Kuwait and later took part in the country's liberation operation. Hungary, while it held non-permanent memberships in the United Nations Security Council in 1992 and 1993, supported Kuwait's just causes, explicitly backed international resolutions in support of the Kuwait just cause, in addition to other resolutions that compel Iraq honor its obligations toward Kuwait.
After the liberation of Kuwait, the ambassador recalls, Hungary dispatched teams of experts to help in putting out fires at the oil installations and clear contamination caused by the blazes.
Reciprocal messages between the Kuwaiti and Hungarian foreign ministers, in the past month, revealed mutual will of the two countries' supreme leaderships to bolster further the 50-year relationship "in light of the Kuwaiti and Hungary's foreign policies that promote international peace, nations' cooperation, sustainable development in favor of their peoples and friendly nations." Kuwait and Hungary, on May 8, 2013, signed two cooperation agreements in the sectors of education and technological investments. In energy, the two sides agreed in 2006 on promoting cooperation in exploration and production of petrochemicals.
As part of its approach to expand scope of cooperation with the Arab world in general, Hungary hosted, in 2012, the Arab-Hungarian Economic Forum, with aim of exploring prospects of boosting cooperation.
-- There have been 12 visits by Kuwaiti and Hungarian officials. The visit by His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, to Budapest, in 1972, when he was serving as foreign minister, pushed the bilateral ties further ahead. Nine years later, His Highness the late Amir, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah visited the European nation in 1981, followed by a visit by the former Speaker of the National Assembly, Ahmad Al-Saadoun, in 1998.
The year 2007 witnessed inauguration of the Kuwaiti embassy in Budapest and marked visits by Kuwaiti MPs and the ex-deputy premier and foreign minister, Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, to Budapest. Also that year saw visits by the Islamic Affairs Undersecretary, Dr. Adel Al-Falah. The year 2011 witnessed a new visit Kuwaiti MPs, grouped in a friendship commission.
Kuwaiti officials later paid several visits to Hungary. As to the Hungarians, they had paid 15 visits to Kuwait.
At the political level, the two countries are members in several international organizations, the Gulf-European dialogue and the Istanbul initiative for cooperation the NATO.
At the economic level, the two sides have taken part in various international events and forums for greater cooperation for global security and sustainable development.
In the investment sphere, Kuwait Public Investment Authority has stakes in the Hungarian Group, Technolmpex, and there is a MoU between the authority and the Hungarian Government for expanding enterprise cooperation.
In culture, Kuwait organized a major Islamic arts exhibition in Budapest in 2011. Number of Kuwaiti tourists travelling to Hungary have noticeably increased due to the nation's abundant natural resources. Two years ago, Kuwait granted airport visas for the Hungarians. (end) amg.rk