Political relations
Hungary and Norway established diplomatic relations on 12 February 1920. It was then that the Hungarian Envoy in Copenhagen was also accredited to Norway. At the same time the Norwegian Envoy in Berlin became the representative of Norway in Hungary. After World War II, the diplomatic representations in both countries were re-established during 1947-48. Bilateral diplomatic relations were raised to the level of Ambassadors on 27 February 1965. Beside the Embassy of Hungary in Oslo there are two honorary consuls in Sarpsborg and in Stavanger representing Hungarian citizens’ interests.
Hungarian-Norwegian relations are traditionally good and harmonious. The political relations between Norway and Hungary are free from tensions and top level visits take place on a regular basis. Expert and political level consultations on strategically important questions of foreign and security policy are continuous – the positions of the two countries on these matters are close to each other if not identical. Since Hungary joined the European Union our relations in the fields of economy, business, and tourism have developed even further and new forms of co-operation have been established. Although Norway is not a member state of the European Union, the country shares the same values and is closely associated with the Union through its membership in the European Economic Area. Norway is a founding member of NATO which also creates a community of values and interests in the bilateral relations of Norway and Hungary. Furthermore, as an important partner of EU member states, Norway plays a key role in international negotiations aiming to reduce the effects of global climate change as well as in other environment-protection initiatives.
High level visits
Following the democratic changes in Hungary the relationship between the two countries changed and important developments took place. High level political meetings became regular; the most significant of those were the visit of the Hungarian Head of State, Árpád Göncz in Oslo in 1999 and the visit of His Majesty King Harald V of Norway and Queen Sonja to Hungary in October 2002.
Norway was represented at the highest level at the ceremonies commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the 1956 Revolution. His Majesty King Harald V attended the events in Budapest, while the President of the Storting, Thorbjørn Jagland was keynote speaker at the commemorations in Oslo where Queen Sonja was also present.
Following the visit of the President of the Storting, Jørgen Kosmo in Budapest in March, 2003, the Hungarian Speaker of the House, Katalin Szili traveled to Norway to conduct a visit in May, 2004. The Presidents of the National Parliaments held a meeting in Budapest on 11 July 2006 where the leader of the Norwegian delegation was Carl I. Haugen, Deputy President of the Storting. Following the official invitation of Carl I. Haugen, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary, László Mandur and his parliamentary delegation arrived to Oslo in April, 2007.
Norway’s Prime Minister, Kjell M. Bondevik paid a working visit to Hungary in February, 2002 as a guest of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. On 3 October 2007 the Hungarian Prime Minister, Ferenc Gyurcsány came to Oslo and held official talks with Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg. He was also received by the President of the Storting, Thorbjørn Jagland.
The outstanding bilateral event of 2009 was the private visit of the Norwegian Crown Prince and Crown Princess to Hungary. HRH Prince Haakon and HRH Princess Mette-Marit arrived to Hungary in September, 2009 for the opening of the new head office of TELENOR’s Hungarian affiliate-company. They were also received by the Hungarian Head of State, László Sólyom. During the visit, Their Royal Highnesses were accompanied by State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Elisabeth Walaas and State Secretary of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Øyvind Slåke, who on the occasion had bilateral talks with State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vilmos Szabó and State Secretary of the Ministry of National Development and Economy, Sándor Burány.
The signing of an agreement in 2004 on the EEA and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism proved to be a milestone in bilateral relations. The financial instrument aims to provide assistance for investment and development projects that increases social and economic cohesion among the countries of the European Economic Area and to support the convergence of the new member States of the European Union. In the framework of these financial mechanisms Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein provided financial assistance amounting to EUR 135,1 million (EEA Fund 60,8 million, Norwegian Fund 74,3 million) in the period between 2004 and 2009 to implement development projects in Hungary.
The main areas of focus of the Norwegian Fund in that period were the following: environmental protection, sustainable development, preservation of European heritage, education and development of human resources, health care, protection of children and youth, regional development and trans-border co-operation, research and development, and co-operation in home and justice affairs.
Under the new agreement prepared at the end of 2009 and signed on 28 July 2010 Hungary will receive financial support amounting to 153,3 million EUR during the next period. The aim is to provide help mainly in the following areas: environmental protection, fighting climate change, utilization of renewable energy sources, research and development on green-industry innovation, preservation of cultural heritage, improving work conditions and conciliation of interests, civil society. This financial mechanism has proved to be successful and has been instrumental in the intensive development of the Hungarian-Norwegian economic, scientific and social relations At the initiative of the Norwegian party, contacts between the two countries’ societies receive particular attention through the remarkable Civil Fund which was created as a part of the Financial Mechanism.
The most important bilateral agreements
The bilateral agreements concluded over the years cover the political, economic, cultural, touristic, scientific and military co-operation between the two countries:
Agreement on civil aviation (1959), Economic, industrial and technical agreement (1970), Cultural agreement (1975), Agreement on international public road transportation (1975), Double taxation treaty (1980), Long-term trade agreement (1984 - annulled at Hungary’s EU-accession), Agreement on visa exemption (1990), Agreement on Health Service (1991), Agreement on Environmental Protection (1991), Free trade agreement between Hungary and EFTA, and its supplementary Hungarian-Norwegian agricultural agreement (1993 - annulled at Hungary’s EU-accession), EEA-agreement (01 May 2004).