Finding open doors in Hungary

“Hungary and Croatia: two completely different languages but basically the same culture. That is why I, as a Croatian, feel like at home in Hungary," the Croatian Ambassador to Hungary, Gordan Grliæ Radman tells Diplomacy & Trade.

“Croatia has always been a member of the European community culturally and
has always considered itself a member of the European family – the act of
officially joining the European Union on July 1, 2013 was the formalization of
our long-lasting ties, putting an end to the otherwise unexpectedly long
accession process,” Ambassador Grliæ Radman explains to Diplomacy & Trade
the background of his country’s accession to the European Union.

He adds that as for the realization of the expectations, this period
since the middle of 2013 is too short a time to look back at and make an
analysis. “The EU is a heterogenic political organization that has recently
suffered an economic recession, so it was not the best time for our accession.
Still, there is great advantage in being an EU member: to be at the same table
as the older members, thus, taking in the decision-making process and feeling
the mutual respect and being a proud member of this family of nations. It is an
organization composed of 28 countries of different political heritage, an
association that has achieved political stability and social safety for its
members’ citizens. However, the challenges are numerous, too. Just take the
Ukrainian crisis, for example. Of course, we are ready to support the further enlargement
of the EU, especially with countries in Croatia’s vicinity like Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania.”

Bilateral ties

According to the Ambassador, relations with Hungary are very close, “thanks
to our Middle-European identity. As a human being who is wholeheartedly
involved in enhancing bilateral relations, having invested effort, time and
knowledge in this issue, I daresay I can be satisfied with what I have achieved
in these past two and a half plus years since I arrived in Budapest: bringing
the two countries even closer in several ways. I have always had a positive
approach to constantly make things better.”

He says his efforts have been facilitated by the fact that he has found
open doors all over Hungary: in government ministries, in and outside Budapest.
“I was welcomed everywhere from Debrecen to Nagykanizsa and Szeged to Gyõr as
the representative a friendly neighbor country.” However, he believes it is
really up to others to judge his work regarding what he did and what more he could
have done as a diplomat.

Hungary and Croatia: two completely different languages but basically
the same culture. “There are countries around Croatia where the language is
very similar but they don’t share the cultural heritage with Hungary that we do.
That is why I, as a Croatian, feel like at home in Hungary. A common history of
over 800 years has left its marks on our cultural identity from architecture to
mentality. The best evidence for that is provided by the national minorities on
both sides: they have similar customs that I’m very proud of – and my Hungarian
friends in Croatia feel the same way,” he adds.

As for political relations, the Ambassador says bilateral ties between
the two countries are stable, “we are strategic partners but there is always
room for improvement.” The latest high-level talks were conducted early this
April when the new Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitaroviæ paid a visit to
Hungary to meet her Hungarian counterpart János Áder.

“Of course, the problematic issue of the Hungarian oil and gas trust
MOL’s ownership in the Croatian oil concern INA is closely followed by both
governments because of its political aspects and both sides are looking for a
final solution to resolve the issue,” the Ambassador says.

Economic relations

The Ambassador points out that the ‘good but can still be better’
expression also applies to economic relations, especially if the fact is taken
into consideration that while the size of the Slovak population is not much
larger than that of Croatia, the annual volume of Hungary’s bilateral trade with
Slovakia is around EUR 9 billion, while the same figure with Croatia is only
1.5 bn. “I believe that Croatia has much greater potential to do business with
Hungary. Croatia is the fourth most important investment destination for Hungary
with MOL and OTP Bank taking the lead in this respect. So, Hungary is very much
present in a Croatia that wishes to be present in Hungary at a higher level
than as it is now. We have eleven companies in this country, including the
largest Croatian firm Agrokor and other well-known ones like Podravka or
Mlinar.” He also mentions Zagorje-Tehnobeton that won Audi’s tender in 2011 to
build a new manufacturing hall at the German carmaker’s facility in Gyõr, NW
Hungary.

The Ambassador stresses that he would like to see the development of
railway links between the two countries “as the Budapest-Rijeka line is quite
neglected.” The Adriatic town of Rijeka is important for Hungary not only
historically but currently with its port infrastructure and as a tourist
destination.

The Port of Rijeka also relates to another bonding issue in bilateral cooperation
– that of energy security. “It is a dynamic, constantly changing matter that
concerns not only the European community but the whole world,” the Ambassador
points out.

He states that Croatia is ready to build compression stations to forward
natural gas to Hungary and Slovenia if it is included in the path of the
planned pipeline from Russia through Turkey and Greece to Macedonia and
Serbia.

The second issue in this sector, he says, is that of LNG terminals. “I
know that Hungary is very interested in this matter and wants to see such a
terminal operating as soon as possible. The European Union also recognizes the
importance of LNG terminals for the supply of the European energy market.” The
company LNG Croatia LLC announced an invitation i.e. Open Season Notice, to
book the capacity of the LNG terminal on a long-term period. This is a unique
opportunity for LNG suppliers, gas traders and companies already involved in
wholesale of natural gas in Central Eastern and South Eastern Europe to
diversify the transport route and source of natural gas via the LNG terminal on
the island of Krk.

Besides the Open Season procedure, LNG Croatia LLC intends to initiate a
Call for Equity in the first half of 2015. The final investment decision is
expected in mid-2016 and the commissioning of the LNG terminal is expected in
the mid-2019.

Given Croatia’s natural endowments, tourism is significant and following
the world economic crisis, “there are more and more Hungarians choosing my
country as their holiday destination, a traditional one especially if – yet
again – you look at the common historical past. Opatija became popular for the
well-to-do holidaymakers of the Austro-Hungarian Monarch from the 19^th century. Nowadays, since we have motorway connection, the time to reach
Croatia’s Adriatic coast is reduced. Hungarians not only rent accommodations
there but many of them own apartments or houses in resort areas there.” Also,
direct flights are soon in operation between Budapest and Zagreb.

According to statistics, in 2014, Croatia was visited by 386,870
Hungarians, a close to 10% increase on the previous year. The Ambassador
believes this increase was, in part facilitated by Croatia’s EU accession, and
the consequent scrapping of customs control.

Croatian community

“We at the embassy enjoy a very active relationship with the Croatian
national minority in Hungary. Also, we consider the southern Hungarian city of
Pécs as the symbol of Croatian presence in Hungary and the center of Croatian community
life in this country with institutions like the Croatian theater, library and
the Croatian grammar school. There is a Croatian Consulate-General there to
keep contact with ethnic Croatians in the region,” the Ambassador points out.

Ethnic Croatians in Hungary are dispersed from Pécs to the northwestern
town of Sopron. They are also heterogeneous because they arrived in Hungary in
different times in history. Regarding their number, the Ambassador says, the
estimation is not easy as a lot of assimilation occurred during the centuries
of common past.

Cultural relations

“There
are so many Croatian cultural events going on and I’m happy to see that the
competent Hungarian authorities are very helpful in organizing these that
relate to our common culture,” the Ambassador remarks. This April, for
instance, saw the Vigadó Hall in Budapest host an exhibition of paintings and
sculptures from the Museum of Varasdin. At the end of April, the exhibition ‘Movement
and Tranquility’ by 97-year-old but very vital Hungarian-Croatian painter and
sculptor, Jelena Veszely – the oldest living student of Ivan Mestrovic, Croatia's
world famous sculptor –, was opened in the Parthenon Frieze Hall of the Hungarian
University of Fine Arts with support from the Croatian Embassy.

Mental integration

Gordan Grliæ Radman says that – ever since his childhood – he wanted to
be a diplomat. “My father, a veterinarian and agronomist, now 82 years old, was
a strict person who wanted me to study agriculture.” So, he did, graduating as
an Agricultural Economics Engineer in 1982. However, his second profession is
political science. After living and working in Switzerland, he signed up with
the Foreign Ministry of the new Croatian state in 1991 and has held various
positions in diplomacy in Croatia and abroad. “My son, who is learning to be a lawyer,
might be my father’s successor at the head of the family’s agricultural
business,” he adds.

He is one of the few ambassadors in Budapest who speaks Hungarian – as
he puts it – ‘on a functional level’ and is a member of the Hungarian-speaking
Ambassadors’ Club in Budapest. He explains his motivation to learn Hungarian by
saying that “if you’re an ambassador, your job is to contact the people, to be
among the people in Budapest as well as in the countryside. An ambassador’s job
is to build bridges, which means he or she must be a sort of architect to make
new links to society: to be understood, encourage people and create interest in
your country by communicating with them. Such efforts are greatly facilitated
by your knowledge of the given language and if you speak that language, people
will appreciate it and will be more open to you.” This is what he calls ‘mental
integration’.