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Budapest hosts Francophone parliamentary meeting, showcasing Hungary’s global engagement
Budapest has hosted the annual meeting of the Economic, Social and Environmental Committee of the Francophone Parliamentary Assembly, with the three-day event concluding on Friday, the Office of Parliament said in a statement.
The chief aim of the event organised by the APF section of the Hungarian Parliament was to strengthen cooperation between Francophone countries, especially regarding economic, social and environmental issues, the statement said.
Events included a business seminar on water management, sustainable farming and food safety, and electronic data security, while the Hungarian Export Promotion Agency (HEPA) provided a platform for innovative Hungarian companies to showcase their business dealings in African and Asian countries.
The Hungarian Parliament has been an associate member of the Francophone Parliamentary Assembly for more than thirty years, chairwoman of the Francophone delegation of the Hungarian Parliament, Katalin Csöbör noted, adding that Hungary has hosted numerous related events.
Hungary has also been an observer member of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) for twenty years, she said, adding that the organisation was devoted to preserving linguistic and cultural identity, which was important to Hungary.
László Kövér, the speaker of parliament, opened the session of the FPA’s economic, social and environmental committee (CAESE) on the second day. Meanwhile, Csöbör presented an award to Geoffroy Roux de Bezieux, president of the Francophone Alliance, for his outstanding work in the economic, social and humanitarian fields, the statement noted.
Kövér: Francophones should strengthen respect between national cultures
In the times ahead, international organisations of the Francophonie have not only a great opportunity, but also a great responsibility, to use the authority of the French language and culture to strengthen respect and equal dialogue between national cultures in Europe and across the world, Speaker of Parliament László Kövér said on Thursday.
Speaking at an event of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie, Kövér said Hungarians wanted to share this task with Francophones and their international community. This understanding and rapprochement between countries and peoples is greatly helped by people-to-people contacts, especially between young people. This is why Hungary offers university scholarships to close to 3,400 students from 36 Francophone countries as part of the Stipendium Hungaricum programme, to a value of 30 million euros a year, Kövér said.
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