This is a difficult text to write. Not just because of my usual procrastination, but because it is a farewell. Through this magazine – Diplomacy&Trade, which has been a regular companion, and WittyLeaks a must to read –, this is, in reality, a goodbye to a country, to friends, to almost six years that turned […]
There are countries one comes to know through professional duty, and there are others that enter one’s life quietly, long before titles, responsibilities or ambitions take shape. Hungary belongs to the latter category for me. It did not present itself as a destination of immediate consequence; rather, it revealed itself gradually, patiently, through moments that […]
Austria and Hungary – few countries have closer and tighter knit bilateral relations.One area where cooperation between Austria and Hungary is particularly strong and important is the economy: Austria is the fourth most important trading partner for and the third most important investor in Hungary. Approximately 1,400 Austrian companies secure over 70,000 jobs here. Together […]
It is incredibly exciting to witness the amazing cultural exchange between Japan and Hungary. Despite the geographical distance separating our nations – a considerable 9,000 kilometers apart, Japan and Hungary are far from being distant or unfamiliar entities to each other. Japanese restaurants are practically ubiquitous – I’ve lost count, and sushi is a supermarket […]
Arriving in Budapest as Argentina’s ambassador was, in many ways, both a return and a discovery. A return to Central Europe, a region I had studied and explored from various angles throughout my career, and a discovery of a country that welcomed me with a heartfelt blend of history, sophistication, identity and warmth. But above […]
In its WittyLeaks series, Diplomacy and Trade regularly publishes the personal accounts of ambassadors and other mission leaders accredited in the Hungarian capital on their experiences on 'excursions' into Hungarian culture, art, gastronomy, customs, scenery, etc. This time, the Irish ambassador explains how baking binds Budapest and Dublin. Arriving on post, a new diplomat can expect to […]
One of the main reasons why I wished to be appointed for a second term as Ambassador of Switzerland to Hungary and why I enjoy my second term so much is certainly the fact that as a Swiss Ambassador to Hungary – and as ambassador of any country in Hungary, I am quite sure – […]
There is a phrase in Hungary – “Valaminek a Csimborasszója” – which means the peak of something in the Hungarian language. It is similar to the Chimborazo of Ecuador, an imposing dormant volcano in my country that has a fascinating and symbolic connection with the world, both from a geographical as well as cultural and […]
In the WittyLeaks series, Diplomacy&Trade regularly publishes the personal accounts of ambassadors and other diplomatic mission leaders accredited to Budapest. I arrived in Budapest end of November 2021, when the sky is gloomy and grey. I got myself an apartment to rent in downtown District 5 so that I could walk to work. The place […]
In the WittyLeaks series, Diplomacy&Trade regularly publishes the personal accounts of ambassadors and other diplomatic mission leaders accredited to Budapest. As I stepped into the role of the Ambassador of Egypt to Hungary, little did I know that this opportunity would lead me on a remarkable journey of discovery, cultural immersion, and friendship. From the […]
Prior to the recent visit to the Hungarian capital by Pope Francis, there were numerous requests to the Apostolic Nunciature in Budapest for an audience by the Pope. One of these came from the Argentine Embassy in Hungary. Their request was accepted and the Embassy issued a statement about the audience the circumstances of which […]
Becoming a diplomat has been my dream since my early youth. Learning about other countries, cultures, and peoples, communicating with them in their languages and serving my country at the same time have always attracted me very much. Diplomacy to me is not only my work but also the way of life, my hobby and […]
When my transfer to Budapest was announced in October 2021, I felt great joy and satisfaction, as I would be completing my diplomatic career in a country with a long and glorious history whose people have been linked to the Greek people for centuries. Thus, I arrived in Budapest on January 19, 2020, full of […]
During my country’s history as an independent nation – and especially during the first half of the 20th century –, thousands of multifaceted and hard-working people emigrated to the long and narrow land, washed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean, that we call Chile. Among them, a small but talented group of Hungarian artists, […]
The last time I wrote for this column, the topic how sport connects people. Don't worry, I will not bore you with football again, rather with other forms of connectivity like experience or enjoyment. I have been working at our Embassy in Budapest for 12 years now and even prior to that, I had the […]
