Senator the Honourable Dr. Amery Browne, Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs met with His Excellency Balász Heincz, Ambassador-designate of Hungary to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago during a courtesy call on 10th July, 2024 at the Ministry’s headquarters. The courtesy call took place prior to the Ambassador-designate’s presentation of his Letters of Credence to Her Excellency Christine Carla Kangaloo, O.R.T.T., President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The Ambassador-designate was accompanied by his spouse, Ms. Anyel Sosa Felipe.
During the courtesy call, Minister Browne welcomed Ambassador-designate Heincz back to Trinidad and Tobago and congratulated him on his appointment as the Ambassador of the Hungary to Trinidad and Tobago. Minister Browne reflected on the April 2024 visit of Excellency Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, to Trinidad and Tobago and noted that the Ambassador’s accreditation provided an additional opportunity to advance the bilateral relationship between Trinidad and Tobago and Hungary. In this regard, Minister Browne committed to strengthening in areas that would be mutually beneficial to both countries.
During an exchange on multilateralism and commitment to the principles of international law, Minister Browne congratulated Hungary on its assumption of the 6-month rotational Presidency of the European Union Council on 1st July, 2024, and the efforts of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to broker a peaceful solution to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. In acknowledging Hungary’s pragmatic outlook on inter-state relations, the Ambassador-designate stressed that dialogue was fundamental to the pursuit of peace.
Among the other issues discussed during the courtesy call were the Samoa Agreement, the removal of Trinidad and Tobago from European Union’s list of Non-Cooperative Jurisdictions and Hungary’s readiness to lend its voice in support of Trinidad and Tobago on the matter. Minister Browne expressed the hope that concrete action would be taken to advance matters in Brussels successfully.
The Ambassador-designate commended the Government of Trinidad and Tobago for its early response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl by providing assistance to the affected countries and advised that Hungary was also committed to providing aid. In expressing appreciation for the Government of Hungary’s commitment to providing assistance, the Minister advised that there be engagement with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) regarding disaster relief initiatives for the region.
The meeting concluded with Minister Browne indicating that he looked forward to meeting with the Ambassador in the near future in order to hold substantial discussions on deepening relations between the two countries and wished the Ambassador all the best for his tenure.
