The Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim paid a working visit to Budapest on 19–20 May.
In recent years the Federal Republic of Nigeria has become Hungary’s second most important foreign trade partner in the Sub-Saharan African region. Yet, based on the country’s significant import of goods and technology, there is still great potential for the enhancement of economic relations. In addition to improving bilateral trade, the aim is for Hungary’s economic involvement to be in the sale and transfer of Hungarian technology – mainly in the fields of the oil industry, the food industry, energetics, agriculture, water management and river engineering, healthcare, the defence industry and technical-scientific cooperation.
During the meeting, Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim and her Hungarian host, Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade István Mikola, reviewed the state of bilateral relations – particularly in regard to enhancement of political relations at the highest level and exploration of cooperation opportunities in the fields of economy and trade. Mr. Mikola pointed out that the Government of Hungary considers Nigeria an important partner in the implementation of the Southward Opening policy’s African dimension. Hungary’s firm objective is to further deepen economic and political relations.
Both parties agreed that a new chapter in bilateral political and economic relations began two years ago with the reopening of the Hungarian Embassy in Abuja. Signing the Hungarian-Nigerian Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement during the visit contributes to taking economic cooperation to a higher level, which has made it possible to establish the Hungarian-Nigerian Joint Economic Committee this year. In the course of the meeting, both parties expressed their interest in further expanding conventional relations, primarily in the fields of the economy, education and sport.
(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)
