Bilateral relations
The Republic of Belarus and Hungary established diplomatic relations on February 12, 1992.
The Embassy of the Republic of Belarus started its work in Budapest in January 2000. The Embassy of Hungary in Minsk was opened in December 2007.
In February 2017, events dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Belarus and Hungary were organized in Hungary: a visit of Belarus’ Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Kravchenko and the Days of Belarusian Culture in Hungary. The presidents and foreign ministers of the two countries exchanged congratulatory letters.
In February 2022 the ministers of foreign affairs also exchanged congratulatory letters on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
Cooperation with Hungary in recent years has been characterized by the intensification of contacts and an increase of level.
On June 5, 2020, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán paid his first official visit to Belarus. The high-ranking guest was received by President of the Republic of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko.
There is constant working contact at the level of deputy foreign ministers of the two countries, a multilevel mechanism of consultations between the Foreign Ministries of Belarus and Hungary operates on a regular basis.
Both parliaments maintain working contacts, first of all via bilateral friendship groups. In the National Assembly of Hungary (last convocation) the Friendship group with Belarus is headed by Mr. Sándor Lezsák, vice-speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly. The Working Group on Cooperation with the Parliament of Hungary in the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus of the 7th convocation is headed by Valery Voronetsky, member of the Standing Committee on International Affairs.
The legal framework of bilateral cooperation between the Republic of Belarus and Hungary consists of about 20 international treaties on trade, economic, scientific and cultural cooperation, cooperation on legal and tax issues, cooperation in agriculture, sports, tourism, education, defense, road transport. A visa free regime for holders of diplomatic and service passports exists between countries.
Humanitarian and cultural cooperation between countries is extending: Days of culture of Belarus in Hungary took place in 2010 and 2017 and Days of culture of Hungary in Belarus – in 2014. Exchange of exhibitions and concerts happens on a regular basis.
Since 2014 Hungarian has been taught in Minsk State Linguistic University. Hungarian students could learn the Belarusian language in the Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest since 1994.
Since September 2015 in a framework of realization of provisions of bilateral Intergovernmental Educational Cooperation Programme Belarusian students may study in universities of Hungary.
Since 2015 Belarusian students also participate in the work of the annual summer translation camp at the Lakitelek Peoples' College (under the patronage of Mr. Sándor Lezsák, deputy speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly).
The Agreement on teaching the Hungarian language and culture between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary and Minsk State Linguistic University was signed in August 2018. Currently, about 30 students are studying Hungarian.
Significant attention is paid to the development of bilateral cooperation in the military memorial sphere. An important event in bilateral relations was the reburial in Bereza on September 25-26, 2015 and September 20, 2018 of the remains of Hungarian servicemen killed during World War II.
