MANILA, Philippines — Visits between Philippine and Hungarian officials show the strong ties between the two countries, House of Representatives Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said on Wednesday.
Romualdez welcomed the delegation of Hungarian lawmakers, led by Zsolt Németh, chairperson of their National Assembly’s foreign affairs committee, who visited the House.
According to Romualdez, the visit was aimed at discussing initiatives aimed at building closer political and inter-parliamentary ties. The meeting, he said, reaffirmed the shared commitment of the two countries towards “enhancing bilateral cooperation in various areas of mutual interest.”
“It is a pleasure to meet Chairman Zsolt Németh and discuss the numerous opportunities to strengthen our partnership. Hungary has been a steadfast friend to the Philippines, and I look forward to further deepening our cooperation in the years to come,” Romualdez said.
“These visits reflect the strong diplomatic ties and mutual respect between our nations,” he added.
Romualdez said that the visit also shows the sustained high-level exchanges between the two countries, as this comes off the visit of Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó to the Philippines last June 2023.
Aside from Szijjártó, Romualdez said Hungarian Deputy Speaker Istvan Jakab visited Manila in 2021, while former Philippine Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri led delegations to Hungary in 2019 and 2023.
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Romualdez also announced that the Philippines-Hungary Parliamentarians’ Friendship Group will be established after the May 2025 midterm elections.
“Your visit today is an important addition to our interparliamentary relations, and I am confident it will pave the way for more meaningful exchanges,” Romualdez said.
“We look forward to the formation of this group,” Németh said in response.
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According to Romualdez, Hungary is the Philippines’ 14th largest trading partner among European Union (EU) member-states in 2023 — and trade relations may grow further especially in the industries of electronic equipment, machinery, optical products, and medical instruments.
“The recent Philippines-Hungary business forum held during the 6th Meeting of the Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation in December 2023 is a testament to our growing economic ties,” Romualdez said.
Meanwhile, Németh said he is optimistic that the Philippine-EU Free Trade Agreement can be finalized in 2025. Romualdez on the other hand meanwhile expressed gratitude for Hungary’s support in the opening of a Migrant Workers Office in Budapest.
“Our overseas Filipino workers contribute significantly to Hungary’s economy and society, and we thank the Hungarian government for its continued assistance,” he said.