ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan–Hungary Parliamentary Friendship Group, led by its Convener Raja Osama Sarwar, MNA, held a meeting with the Ambassador of Hungary to Pakistan, H.E. Dr Zoltán Varga, at Parliament House to discuss strengthening parliamentary relations and expanding bilateral cooperation.
The meeting was attended by Members of the National Assembly Ms Munaza Hassan, Mr Ammar Ahmad Khan Leghari and Mr Naveed Aamir Jeeva. The discussions focused on cooperation in trade, investment, education, tourism and cultural exchange.
Welcoming the ambassador, Raja Osama Sarwar reaffirmed the importance of Pakistan–Hungary relations and highlighted the role of parliamentary diplomacy in promoting mutual understanding and advancing cooperation between the two countries. He said regular interaction between parliamentarians, reciprocal visits and stronger institutional linkages could further consolidate bilateral ties.
Ambassador Dr Zoltán Varga referred to the positive relationship between Pakistan and Hungary and recalled the visit of the Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan to Budapest in 2025. He stressed the need to build on this engagement through continued parliamentary exchanges and expressed the hope for reciprocal interaction between the two legislatures.
The ambassador also underlined the potential for closer people-to-people contact, saying greater familiarity with Pakistan’s landscapes, culture and hospitality could help bridge the gap between perceptions and reality. He encouraged increased tourism, cultural exchanges and engagement between the business communities of both countries.
During the meeting, participants explored avenues for expanding bilateral trade and economic cooperation, particularly in agriculture, information technology, pharmaceuticals, textiles and defence. They highlighted opportunities for companies from both countries to explore new markets, strengthen business-to-business connections and develop mutually beneficial commercial partnerships.
The possibility of increased engagement through business delegations was also discussed. The participants underscored the importance of educational cooperation, particularly in view of Pakistani students studying in Hungary, and noted opportunities to further strengthen academic and people-to-people links.
On parliamentary cooperation, the convener proposed the formation of a corresponding Parliamentary Friendship Group in Hungary and suggested a virtual interaction between the two groups as an initial step towards establishing regular contact.
In response, the ambassador said Hungary had held elections in April 2026, after which approximately four-fifths of the government’s membership had changed, and that the formation of the Hungarian Parliamentary Friendship Group was in process.
The meeting concluded with a shared emphasis on sustaining parliamentary dialogue, promoting closer economic and cultural links, and encouraging greater interaction between the peoples of Pakistan and Hungary. Both sides recognised the importance of building on existing goodwill to advance mutually beneficial cooperation and strengthen relations between the two countries.
