Foreign Minister to Recall 37 Heads of Mission

In a first step to renew the leadership of Hungarian diplomatic missions, the foreign ministry is recalling 37 heads of mission, Foreign Minister Anita Orbán said in a video on Facebook on Friday.

While some diplomats' terms of office are expiring, other decisions were "motivated by the goal of ensuring that Hungary’s interests are represented by ambassadors who can credibly and effectively represent our country in line with the new foreign policy priorities," the Foreign Minister said.

The measure is also part of a broader professional renewal, she highlighted. The foreign ministry is aiming to build a "a professional diplomatic corps operating at a high professional standard. We need ambassadors and diplomats who actively contribute to the realisation of Hungary's foreign policy goals and to strengthening its ability to assert its interests internationally."

To that end, the ministry has appointed a deputy state secretary for human resources strategy and training, she stated. "The effective representation of Hungary’s foreign policy, economic and national strategic interests can only be based on a highly trained, motivated and professional diplomatic corps. This also guarantees that the foreign ministry will be able to support the achievement of the international goals of other ministries even more effectively in the future."