In Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, 18 July, President of Hungary Katalin Novák emphasised the strengthening of educational and economic cooperation with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan during their joint press conference after representatives of the two countries signed a bilateral education cooperation agreement for Tanzania to join the Stipendium Hungaricum Programme for the period 2024–2026.
Katalin Novák stated that thanks to the scholarship programme, 12,000 students from all around the world are currently studying in Hungary. With the recent agreement, Hungary will have the opportunity to provide scholarships to Tanzanian students over the next three years. Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan highlighted that as part of the agreement, Hungarian students can also receive scholarships to study at Tanzanian universities.
The topics discussed in the meeting between the presidents included, among others, the Russo-Ukrainian war, migration, demographic issues, and strengthening economic relations. Katalin Novák pointed out that
it was the first time a Hungarian President visited Tanzania
and emphasised the importance of understanding the Tanzanian people’s mentality and way of life, with relations being based on mutual respect.
The Hungarian President also spoke about the Russo-Ukrainian war, which led to two million refugees being welcomed in Hungary. She mentioned that there are Hungarian communities in Ukraine, particularly in Transcarpathia, and Hungarian lives have been lost in the war.
The meeting also offered an opportunity for the two presidents to discuss the history of their respective countries, which, as the Hungarian President noted, provided the leaders a chance to understand each other’s challenges and learn from one another. Katalin Novák emphasised that both Hungary and Tanzania are open and ready to learn from each other.
Regarding education, Katalin Novák mentioned that the idea is for foreign students studying in Hungary
to return to their home countries and utilise their knowledge there.
She also highlighted the opportunities to improve and intensify economic relations between the two countries, expressing her desire to organise a business forum in Hungary linked to President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s visit. This forum would bring together stakeholders from the business sectors of both countries. Katalin Novák also extended an invitation to President Samia Suluhu Hassan to attend the demographic summit to be held in Budapest in September this year.
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Source: MTI
