Dear Visitor,
Welcome to the website of the Embassy of Hungary in The Hague.
Hungary and the Netherlands as strategic partners share the same values and interests. Lively cultural contacts, dynamic economic relations and rapidly evolving foreign and security policy collaboration make us not only friends, but strong allies.
The complexity of our present relations and the vast potential of the future ones make it a great honour and at the same time a challenge for me to represent Hungary in this wonderful country.
The relations between the Netherlands and Hungary have a long history. In the Middle Ages, several important figures of the Hungarian Kingdom and the Protestant Church studied at Dutch Universities. Admiral De Ruyter is widely respected for rescuing 26 Hungarian protestant ministers sentenced to the galleys of Naples as a late relic of religious repression in 1676. In 1921, Queen Wilhelmina arranged for tens of thousands of needy Hungarian children, mostly orphaned by the First World War to receive better care and in many cases foster-parents in the Netherlands.
The Hungarian revolution and freedom fight of 1956 is still seen in the Dutch public eye as a glorious chapter of history. This has been underlined even by Prime Minister Peter Balkenende in his address commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Rome Treaty. The 3500 Hungarian refugees settled down in the Netherlands have contributed to the Dutch economic development and cultural life.
Our friendship and alliance were re-established with the Hungarian political transition of the 1990s, as Hungary gradually embraced the values of democracy and market economy. Connections now exist at all levels of society and on all possible fields of life among every-day people, organisations, scientific and governmental institutions of the two countries.
By joining NATO (1999), accessing the EU (2004) and becoming part of the Schengen Area (2007) the two countries work closely together within the same political, security and economic structures. This creates even better opportunities to enhance and develop further bilateral relations. A recently emerged field of bilateral cooperation is found in the security policy realm, as Hungary took over the lead of the Baghlan Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan form the Netherlands in 2006, and committed herself to contribute to the Dutch military activities in Uruzgan province, as well.
Trade and investment is a busy and successful field of relations between Hungary and the Netherlands. In recent years the Netherlands have been the seventh most important trading partner for Hungary. Dutch and large multinational companies with headquarters in the Netherlands were amongst the first ones to establish themselves on the Hungarian market. They appreciated the skilled workforce, the high level of business and financial services, transport and telecommunication infrastructure. They were quick to realise the benefits of Hungary’s business-friendly environment and that its geographical position could offer to create their regional centre in Hungary, expanding from there in the neighbouring countries. Dutch companies have invested and prospered in all sectors of the Hungarian economy.
Climate and scenery, wellness and quality of living have all been amongst Hungary’s appeal to attract hundreds of thousands of Dutch tourists to visit the country or in fact settle down there steadily.
Both countries attach great importance to the strengthening of educational and cultural ties. In Hungary, Dutch language is taught at secondary school-level and there are three universities offering courses of Dutch language, history and culture. In the Netherlands, the Finno-Ugric Department of Groningen University is specialized in Hungarian language and culture. Hungarian scientists excel themselves in a wide range of research and development activities at laboratories and departments of the Universities of Delft, Leiden, Groningen and others.
Hungarian novels have recently emerged on the world’s literal field. Famous works of Sándor Márai, Magda Szabó, Imre Kertész, György Konrád translated into Dutch are amongst the most acclaimed in the Netherlands. In November 2007, the Hungarian filmmaker Peter Forgács won the prestigious Erasmus Prize, handed over by Prince Willem Alexander. After the important Hungarian cultural manifestation “Hongarije an Zee” organised in 2004 in the Netherlands, in February-March 2008 the so called “LOW”-festival, a series of exhibitions, concerts, shows and happenings of contemporary Dutch and Flemish art was staged in Hungary. This was the biggest ever Dutch cultural festival abroad, which also shows the importance Dutch cultural policy is attaching to Hungary.
The Hungarian Embassy’s staff and I are ready to do our best in contributing to the further development of our bilateral ties at all possible level of everyday life.
Please feel free to contact us any time you think we can be at your assistance while dealing, trading or establishing contacts with Hungary. We are always at your disposal.
Thank you for your kind interest.
Gyula SümeghyAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary