Foreign relations of Hungary

Hungary wields considerable influence in Central and Eastern Europe and is a middle power in international affairs.^[1][2] The foreign policy of Hungary includes commitments to international development, international law, European integration, Atlantic co-operation and increased co-operation within the Global East.^[3] The Hungarian economy is fairly open and relies strongly on international trade.

Hungary has been a member of the United Nations since December 1955 and holds current membership with the European Union, NATO, the OECD, the Visegrád Group, the WTO, the World Bank, the AIIB and the IMF. Hungary took on the presidency of the Council of the European Union for half a year in 2011 and the next will be in 2024. In 2015, Hungary was the fifth largest OECD Non-DAC donor of development aid in the world, which represents 0.13% of its Gross National Income. In this regard, Hungary stands before Spain, Israel or Russia.

Hungary's capital city, Budapest is home to more than 100 embassies and foreign representative bodies.^[4] Hungary hosts the main and regional headquarters of many international organizations as well, including European Institute of Innovation and Technology, European Police College, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, International Centre for Democratic Transition, Institute of International Education, International Labour Organization, International Organization for Migration, International Red Cross, Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe, Danube Commission and even others.^[5]

From 1989, Hungary's top foreign policy goal was achieving integration into Western economic and security organizations. It joined the Partnership for Peace program in 1994 and has actively supported the IFOR and SFOR missions in Bosnia. It also improved its often frosty neighborly relations by signing basic treaties with Ukraine, Slovakia, and Romania. These renounce all outstanding territorial claims and lay the foundation for constructive relations. However, the issue of ethnic Hungarian minority rights in Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine periodically causes bilateral tensions to flare up. Hungary since 1989 has signed all of the OSCE documents, and served as the OSCE's Chairman-in-Office in 1997. Hungary's record of implementing CSCE Helsinki Final Act provisions, including those on the reunification of divided families, remains among the best in Central and Eastern Europe.

Except for the short-lived neutrality declared by the anti-Soviet leader Imre Nagy in November 1956, Hungary's foreign policy generally followed the Soviet lead from 1947 to 1989. During the Communist period, Hungary maintained treaties of friendship, cooperation, and mutual assistance with the Soviet Union, Poland, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic, Romania, and Bulgaria. It was one of the founding members of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact and Comecon, and it was the first country to withdraw from those organizations. After 1989, it began to orient more towards the West, joining NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004. In 2010, Hungary initiated its Eastern Opening Policy, marking a commitment to enhancing its relations with other nations within the Global East.^[3]

Meeting of Visegrád Group leaders, plus Germany and France in 2013

United Nations conference in the assembly hall of House of Magnates in the Hungarian Parliament

Overview

As with any country, Hungarian security attitudes are shaped largely by history and geography. For Hungary, this is a history of more than 400 years of domination by great powers—the Ottomans, the Habsburg dynasty, the Germans during World War II, and the Soviets during the Cold War—and a geography of regional instability and separation from Hungarian minorities living in neighboring countries. Hungary's foreign policy priorities, largely consistent since 1990, represent a direct response to these factors. From 1990, Hungary's top foreign policy goal was achieving integration into Western economic and security organizations. Hungary joined the Partnership for Peace program in 1994 and has actively supported the IFOR and SFOR missions in Bosnia. The Horn government achieved Hungary's most important foreign policy successes of the post-communist era by securing invitations to join both NATO and the European Union in 1997. Hungary became a member of NATO in 1999,^[6] and a member of the EU in 2004.^[7]

Hungary also has improved its often frosty neighborly relations by signing basic treaties with Romania, Slovakia, and Ukraine. These renounce all outstanding territorial claims and lay the foundation for constructive relations. However, the issue of ethnic Hungarian minority rights in Slovakia and Romania periodically causes bilateral tensions to flare up. Hungary was a signatory to the Helsinki Final Act in 1975, has signed all of the CSCE/OSCE follow-on documents since 1989, and served as the OSCE's Chairman-in-Office in 1997. Hungary's record of implementing CSCE Helsinki Final Act provisions, including those on the reunification of divided families, remains among the best in eastern Europe. Hungary has been a member of the United Nations since December 1955.

The Gabčíkovo - Nagymaros Dams project

This involves Hungary and Czechoslovakia, and was agreed on September 16, 1977 ("Budapest Treaty"). The treaty envisioned a cross-border barrage system between the towns Gabčíkovo, Czechoslovakia and Nagymaros, Hungary. After an intensive campaign, the project became widely hated as a symbol of the old communist regime. In 1989 the Hungarian government decided to suspend it. In its sentence from September 1997, the International Court of Justice stated that both sides breached their obligation and that the 1977 Budapest Treaty is still valid. In 1998 the Slovak government turned to the International Court, demanding the Nagymaros part to be built. The international dispute was partially solved in 2017.

On March 19, 2008, Hungary recognized Kosovo as an independent country.^[8]

Relations between Hungary and its Western partners have strained, because Orban's government has maintained relations with Russia despite sanctions against Russia after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.^[9]

Illicit drugs: Major trans-shipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and cannabis and transit point for South American cocaine destined for Western Europe; limited producer of precursor chemicals, particularly for amphetamines and methamphetamines

Refugee protection: The Hungarian border barrier was built in 2015, and Hungary was criticized by other European countries for using tear gas and water cannons on refugees of the Syrian Civil War as they were trying to pass the country.^[10][11]

Since 2017, Hungary–Ukraine relations have rapidly deteriorated over the issue of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.^[12][13]

Hungary and Central Asia

Viktor Orbán at the 8th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States

A number of Hungarian anthropologists and linguists have long had an interest in the Turkic peoples, fueled by the eastern origin of the Hungarians' ancestors.^[14] The Hungarian ethnomusicologist Bence Szabolcsi explained this motivation as follows: "Hungarians are the outermost branch leaning this way from age-old tree of the great Asian musical culture rooted in the souls of a variety of peoples living from China through Central Asia to the Black Sea".^[15]

Since the political transformation in 1990, Hungary has prioritized its diplomatic engagements with the Turkic world.^[16] in 2018, Hungary became an observer within the Organisation of Turkic States, underscoring a deepened engagement in regional cooperation.^[17]

Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Hungary maintains diplomatic relations with:

#	Country	Date
1	Austria	20 November 1918[18]
2	Switzerland	February 1919[19]
3	France	8 January 1920[20]
4	Norway	12 February 1920[21]
5	Bulgaria	9 August 1920[22]
—	Holy See	10 August 1920[23][24]
6	Romania	21 August 1920[25]
7	Sweden	12 November 1920[26]
8	Japan	9 February 1921[27]
9	Netherlands	14 January 1921[28]
10	United Kingdom	22 May 1921[29]
11	Denmark	13 June 1921[30]
12	Serbia	June 1921[31]
13	United States	29 August 1921[32]
14	Poland	17 November 1921[33]
15	Czech Republic	6 February 1922[34]
16	Belgium	20 February 1922[35]
17	Finland	12 April 1922[36]
18	Albania	23 May 1922[37]
19	Luxembourg	17 July 1923[38]
20	Turkey	7 May 1924[39]
21	Spain	12 July 1924[40]
22	Argentina	1924[41]
23	Mexico	13 January 1926[42]
24	Italy	15 April 1927[43]
25	Chile	14 November 1930[44]
26	Russia	6 February 1934[45]
27	Ecuador	September 1946[46]
28	North Korea	11 November 1948[47]
29	India	18 November 1948[48]
30	Israel	6 February 1949[49]
31	China	6 October 1949[50]
32	Vietnam	3 February 1950[51]
33	Mongolia	28 April 1950[52]
34	Iran	1951[41]
35	Bolivia	17 October 1952[53]
36	Syria	13 May 1954[54]
37	Egypt	13 October 1954[55]
38	Indonesia	26 June 1955[56]
39	Iceland	17 July 1955[57]
40	Myanmar	5 March 1956[58]
41	Sudan	7 March 1956[59]
42	Afghanistan	18 May 1956[60]
43	Uruguay	14 June 1956[61]
44	Greece	23 July 1956[62]
45	Tunisia	31 August 1956[55]
46	Iraq	30 August 1958[63]
47	Sri Lanka	15 February 1959[64]
48	Guinea	26 February 1959[65]
49	Yemen	21 March 1959[66]
50	Morocco	23 October 1959[67]
51	Ethiopia	17 November 1959[68]
52	Cuba	15 September 1960[69]
53	Somalia	14 October 1960[70]
54	Cyprus	18 October 1960[71]
55	Nepal	15 January 1961[72]
56	Mali	12 March 1961[73]
57	Brazil	21 March 1961[74]
58	Ghana	29 July 1961[75]
59	Algeria	7 April 1962[76]
60	Benin	18 June 1962[77]
61	Laos	12 September 1962[78]
62	Tanzania	23 November 1962[79]
63	Cambodia	22 July 1963[80]
64	Kenya	21 March 1964[81]
65	Nigeria	4 April 1964[82]
66	Kuwait	7 May 1964[83]
67	Jordan	16 May 1964[84]
68	Canada	11 June 1964[85]
69	Pakistan	26 February 1965[86]
70	Uganda	23 August 1965[87]
71	Lebanon	1 December 1965[73]
72	Mauritania	1 December 1965[88]
73	Zambia	13 August 1966[89]
74	Libya	2 July 1967[90]
75	Senegal	24 January 1968[41]
76	Ivory Coast	22 February 1968[91]
77	Burundi	29 May 1968[92]
78	Burkina Faso	8 June 1968[93]
79	New Zealand	30 March 1969[94]
80	Peru	16 April 1969[95]
81	Venezuela	30 April 1969[96]
82	Sierra Leone	10 November 1969[97]
83	Malaysia	29 December 1969[98]
84	Central African Republic	10 February 1970[99]
85	Republic of the Congo	14 February 1970[100]
86	Equatorial Guinea	18 February 1970[101]
87	Costa Rica	14 May 1970[53]
88	Togo	20 June 1970[102]
89	Singapore	24 August 1970[103]
90	Malta	12 December 1970[104]
91	Bangladesh	29 February 1972[105]
92	Australia	6 April 1972[106]
93	Gambia	14 June 1972[107]
94	Rwanda	31 July 1972[108]
95	Chad	1 November 1972[109]
96	Niger	3 February 1973[110]
97	Colombia	28 March 1973[111]
98	Guinea-Bissau	15 June 1973[112]
99	Democratic Republic of the Congo	16 June 1973[112]
100	Honduras	2 July 1973[53]
101	Philippines	28 September 1973[113]
102	Thailand	24 October 1973[114]
103	Germany	21 December 1973[115]
104	Portugal	1 July 1974[116]
105	Jamaica	8 February 1975[117]
106	Maldives	25 May 1975[117]
107	Trinidad and Tobago	7 June 1975[117]
108	Mozambique	26 June 1975[117]
109	Guyana	9 July 1975[117]
110	Cape Verde	16 July 1975[117]
111	Panama	4 September 1975[117]
112	Madagascar	1 December 1975[117]
113	Angola	23 December 1975[117]
114	Liberia	15 July 1976[118]
115	Fiji	12 August 1976[118]
116	Ireland	1 October 1976[118]
117	São Tomé and Príncipe	2 November 1976[118]
118	Papua New Guinea	15 January 1977[119]
119	Djibouti	28 June 1977[119]
120	Suriname	14 July 1977[119]
121	Grenada	30 July 1977[119]
122	Seychelles	30 November 1977[119]
123	Comoros	30 November 1977[119]
124	Barbados	8 March 1978[120]
125	Nicaragua	1 October 1979[121]
126	Botswana	30 April 1980[122]
127	Zimbabwe	22 December 1980[123]
128	Lesotho	29 March 1983[124]
129	Cameroon	21 January 1987[125]
130	Gabon	24 October 1988[126]
—	State of Palestine	23 November 1988[127]
131	South Korea	1 February 1989[128]
132	United Arab Emirates	2 August 1989[129]
133	Bahrain	3 March 1990[130]
134	Namibia	23 March 1990[131]
135	Mauritius	24 April 1990[41]
136	Eswatini	9 May 1990[126]
—	Sovereign Military Order of Malta	15 June 1990[132]
137	Oman	20 June 1990[133]
138	Guatemala	11 October 1990[126]
139	Qatar	18 October 1990[134]
140	Malawi	26 December 1990[41]
141	Paraguay	2 May 1991[126]
142	San Marino	24 May 1991[135]
143	South Africa	24 July 1991[136]
144	Estonia	2 September 1991[137]
145	Latvia	2 September 1991[138]
146	Lithuania	2 September 1991[139]
147	El Salvador	26 September 1991[126]
148	Ukraine	3 December 1991[140]
149	Moldova	16 January 1992[141]
150	Slovenia	16 January 1992[142]
151	Croatia	18 January 1992[143]
152	Brunei	21 January 1992[126]
153	Belarus	12 February 1992[144]
154	Armenia	26 February 1992[145]
155	Uzbekistan	3 March 1992[146]
156	Kazakhstan	23 March 1992[147]
157	Bosnia and Herzegovina	10 April 1992[148]
158	Kyrgyzstan	16 April 1992[149]
159	Azerbaijan	27 April 1992[150]
160	Turkmenistan	11 May 1992[151]
161	Georgia	14 May 1992[152]
162	Tajikistan	2 July 1992[153]
163	Slovakia	1 January 1993[154]
164	Liechtenstein	14 June 1993[155]
165	Eritrea	24 August 1993[156]
166	North Macedonia	29 August 1994[157]
167	Andorra	1 March 1995[158]
168	Saudi Arabia	4 April 1995[159]
169	Dominican Republic	7 March 2003[160]
170	Timor-Leste	24 January 2003[161]
171	Bahamas	29 April 2005[126]
172	Antigua and Barbuda	16 May 2005[126]
173	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	23 May 2005[162]
174	Belize	10 June 2005[126]
175	Haiti	11 July 2005[126]
176	Saint Lucia	7 October 2005[126]
177	Montenegro	14 June 2006[163]
178	Dominica	2 June 2008[126]
—	Kosovo	27 June 2008[164]
179	Saint Kitts and Nevis	11 May 2011[126]
180	Vanuatu	6 June 2011[165]
181	Solomon Islands	21 June 2011[166]
182	Tuvalu	11 July 2011[167]
183	Nauru	12 July 2011[126]
184	Samoa	7 September 2011[126]
185	South Sudan	23 September 2011[126]
186	Tonga	23 September 2011[126]
187	Federated States of Micronesia	7 September 2012[126]
188	Monaco	2 May 2016[168]
189	Kiribati	17 June 2016[126]
190	Palau	18 September 2017[169]
—	Cook Islands	20 September 2018[170]
191	Marshall Islands	27 September 2019[126]

Relations by region and country

Multilateral

Organization	Formal Relations Began	Notes
European Union		(See Hungary in the European Union) Hungary joined the European Union as a full member on 1 May 2004.
NATO		(See Hungary in NATO) Hungary joined NATO as a full member on 12 March 1999.

Africa

Country	Formal Relations Began	Notes
Cape Verde		Cape Verde is accredited to Hungary from its embassy in Brussels, Belgium. Hungary is accredited to Cape Verde from its embassy in Lisbon, Portugal[171][172] and maintains an honorary consulate in Praia.[173]
Ethiopia		Ethiopia is accredited to Hungary from its Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. Hungary has an embassy in Addis Ababa.
Ghana		(See Ghana–Hungary relations) Ghana is accredited to Hungary from its embassy in Prague, Czech Republic. Hungary has an embassy in Accra.
Guinea-Bissau		Guinea-Bissau is accredited to Hungary from its embassy in Moscow, Russia. Hungary is accredited to Guinea-Bissau from its embassy in Lisbon, Portugal.[173]
Mauritania		Hungary is accredited to Mauritania from its embassy in Rabat, Morocco.[174][175]
Morocco		Hungary has an embassy in Rabat. Morocco has an embassy in Budapest. Latifa Akharbach, Morocco's under-secretary of Minister of Foreign Affairs visited Hungary in 2007.
Uganda		Hungary is represented in Uganda by its embassy in Nairobi, Kenya[174] and an honorary consulate in Kampala.[174] Hungary is realizing the largest foreign development program in its history in Uganda.[176]

Americas

Country	Formal Relations Began	Notes
Argentina		(See Argentina–Hungary relations) Argentina has an embassy in Budapest. Hungary has an embassy in Buenos Aires.
Belize		Belize does not have an accreditation to Hungary. Hungary does not have an accreditation to Belize.
Brazil	1927	(See Brazil–Hungary relations) Brazil has an embassy in Budapest. Hungary has an embassy in Brasília and a consulate-general in São Paulo.
Canada	1964	(See Canada–Hungary relations) Canada has an embassy in Budapest.[177] Hungary has an embassy in Ottawa and a consulate-general in Toronto.[178]
Colombia	28 March 1973	(See Colombia–Hungary relations) Colombia has an embassy in Budapest. Hungary has an embassy in Bogotá.
Dominica		Hungary is accredited to Dominica from its embassy in Havana, Cuba.[179][174]
Mexico	1925	(See Hungary–Mexico relations) Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1864, during the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Diplomatic relations were established between Hungary and Mexico in 1925 and were suspended in 1941. They were re-established on 14 May 1974. Hungary has an embassy in Mexico City.[180] Mexico has an embassy in Budapest.[181]
United States	1922	(See Hungary–United States relations) Normal bilateral relations between Hungary and the U.S. were resumed in December 1945 when a U.S. ambassador was appointed and the embassy was re-opened. Hungary has an embassy in Washington, D.C., and consulates-general in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.[182] United States has an embassy in Budapest.[183]
Uruguay		(See Hungary–Uruguay relations) Hungary is accredited to Uruguay from its embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina and has an embassy office in Montevideo. Uruguay is accredited to Hungary from its embassy in Vienna, Austria.

Asia

Country	Formal Relations Began	Notes
Armenia	2022-12-02	(See Armenia–Hungary relations) On 31 August 2012, Armenia severed relations with Hungary following the extradition of Ramil Safarov.[184] On 2 December 2022, Armenia and Hungary restored diplomatic relations.[185] There are around 15,000 people of Armenian descent living in Hungary.
Azerbaijan		(See Azerbaijan–Hungary relations) Azerbaijan has an embassy in Budapest. Hungary has an embassy in Baku.
China	1949-10-04	(See Hungary-China relations) China has an embassy in Budapest. Hungary has an embassy in Beijing and consulates-general in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Officials from Hungary regularly visit China on trade missions, a factor that helped enable the buyout of distressed Hungarian chemical maker Borsodchem by the Chinese company Wanhua Industrial Group.[186]
Georgia		Georgia has an embassy in Budapest. Hungary has an embassy in Tbilisi.
India		(See Hungary–India relations) Hungary has an embassy in New Delhi. India has an embassy in Budapest.
Indonesia	1955	(See Hungary–Indonesia relations) Hungary has an embassy in Jakarta.[187] opened in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, in 1957. Hungary has two honorary consuls in Indonesia, one in Bandung, West Java and another in Denpasar, Bali. A third consul will be opened in Surabaya, East Java.[187] Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the relation with Hungary Archived 2018-05-13 at the Wayback Machine Indonesia has an embassy in Budapest.[188] and there is a commercial developmental center too.
Iran	1939	(See Hungary–Iran relations) Since 1951, Hungary has an embassy in Tehran.[189] Iran has an embassy in Budapest.[190] Hungary is committed to expand cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran.[191]
Iraq		(See Hungary–Kurdistan Region relations) Hungary has an embassy in Baghdad. Iraq has an embassy in Budapest. Between August 2003 and March 2005, Hungary had contributed to more than 300 soldiers to the Multinational force in Iraq.
Israel		(See Hungary–Israel relations) Hungary has an embassy in Tel Aviv and 4 honorary consulates (in Eilat, Haifa, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv).[192] Israel has an embassy in Budapest and an honorary consulate in Szeged.[193] Both countries are full members of the Union for the Mediterranean.
Japan		(See Hungary–Japan relations) After World War II, both countries re-established diplomatic relations in August 1959. Hungary has an embassy in Tokyo and 2 honorary consulates (in Hamamatsu and Osaka).[194] Japan has an embassy in Budapest.[195] Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Hungary
Kazakhstan		(See Hungary–Kazakhstan relations) Hungary has an embassy in Astana and a consulate-general in Almaty. Kazakhstan has an embassy in Budapest.
Malaysia	1969	(See Hungary–Malaysia relations) Hungary has an embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia has an embassy in Budapest. Malaysia Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the relation with Hungary Archived 2009-11-28 at the Wayback Machine Hungary–Malaysia relations on www.kln.gov.my
Mongolia	1959-05-29	Hungary is accredited to Mongolia from its embassy in Beijing, China and though an honorary consulate in Ulaanbaatar. Mongolia has an embassy in Budapest. Mongolian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: list of bilateral treaties with Hungary (in Mongolian only)
North Korea		(See Hungary–North Korea relations) Relations between the two countries existed since the Korean War, but however have evolved into conflicts.
Pakistan	1965-11-26	(See Hungary–Pakistan relations) Since 1970, Hungary has an embassy in Islamabad and an honorary consulate in Karachi.[196] Pakistan has an embassy in Budapest[197]
Palestine	1988-11-23	(See Hungary–Palestine relations) Hungary has a representative office in Ramallah. Palestine has an embassy in Budapest.
Qatar	18 October 1990[134]	Hungary has an embassy in Doha[198] Qatar has an embassy in Budapest[199] On 20 August 2023, President Katalin Novák welcomed Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to an official visit in Hungary.[200][201] During the visit, Qatar agreed to supply Hungary with LNG starting in 2027.[202]
Saudi Arabia		Hungary has an embassy in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia has an embassy in Budapest.
South Korea	1 February 1989[203]	(See Hungary–South Korea relations) The establishment of diplomatic relations between Hungary and the Republic of Korea began on 1 February 1989. Hungary and South Korea have good relations. Permanent missions between the two countries were announced during the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. The announcement made Hungary the first Eastern Bloc country to exchange ambassadors with South Korea. Hungary has a Working Holiday Program Agreement with South Korea. Hungarian embassy in Seoul.[204] South Korean embassy in Budapest.[205] South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Hungary
Sri Lanka		(See Hungary–Sri Lanka relations) Sri Lanka has an embassy in Vienna, Austria that is accredited to Hungary[206] and has an honorary consulate in Budapest[207] Hungary maintains an honorary consulate in Colombo, Sri Lanka.[208] Hungary contributed to relief after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, and has since stepped up aid to Sri Lanka.[209]
Thailand	1973-10-24	Since 1978, Hungary has an embassy in Bangkok and an honorary consulate in Pattaya.[210] Since 1989, Thailand has an embassy in Budapest. Thailand has also a commercial office in Budapest.[211][212][213]
Turkey		(See Hungary–Turkey relations) Memorial to Hungarian freedom fighters of 1848–1849 at Protestant Cemetery in Şişli, Istanbul. Hungary has an embassy in Ankara and a consulate–general in Istanbul.[214] Turkey has an embassy in Budapest[215] and an honorary consulate in Keszthely. Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe, the OECD, the NATO, the OSCE and the WTO. Also, Hungary is an EU member and Turkey is a candidate. Hungary supports Turkey's accession negotiations to the EU, although negotiations have now been suspended. Hungary is also an observer nation in the Turkic Council. Both countries have historical ties dating back to the 16th century. Hungary hosts a number of Ottoman-era monuments in cities such as Budapest, Eger, and Pécs. Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Hungary
United Arab Emirates		Hungary has an embassy in Abu Dhabi. United Arab Emirates has an embassy in Budapest.
Vietnam	1950-02-03	(See Hungary–Vietnam relations) Hungary has an embassy in Hanoi and an honorary consulate in Ho Chi Minh City.[216] Vietnam has an embassy in Budapest. Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Hungary

Europe

Country	Formal Relations Began	Notes
Albania		(See Albania–Hungary relations) Austria-Hungary supported Albanian Declaration of Independence in 1912. Albania has an embassy in Budapest. Hungary has an embassy in Tirana. Both countries are full members of NATO. Albania is an candidate and Hungary is an EU member.
Austria		(See Austria–Hungary relations) Austrian-Hungarian relations are the neighborly relations between Austria and Hungary, two member states of the European Union. Both countries have a long common history since the ruling dynasty of Austria, the Habsburgs, inherited the Hungarian throne in the 16th century. Both have been part of the now-defunct Austro-Hungarian Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. The two countries established diplomatic relations in 1921, after their separation. Austria has an embassy in Budapest. Hungary has an embassy in Vienna and a consulate-general in Innsbruck. Both countries are full members of the European Union.
Belgium		Belgium has an embassy in Budapest.[217] Hungary has an embassy in Brussels and 2 honorary consulates (in Antwerp and Liège).[218] Both countries are full members of the European Union and NATO. See also:Hungarians in Belgium and Belgians in Hungary
Bosnia and Herzegovina	1992-04-10	Hungary recognized Bosnia and Herzegovina's independence on April 9, 1992. Bosnia and Herzegovina has an embassy in Budapest. Hungary has an embassy in Sarajevo.[219] Bosnia and Herzegovina is an candidate and Hungary is an EU member.
Bulgaria	1920	(See Bulgaria–Hungary relations) Bulgaria has an embassy in Budapest.[220] Hungary has an embassy in Sofia and an honorary consulate in Varna.[221] Both countries are full members of the European Union and NATO.
Croatia		(See Croatia–Hungary relations) Croatia has an embassy in Budapest. Hungary has an embassy in Zagreb. Both countries are full members of the European Union and NATO.
Cyprus		Cyprus has an embassy in Budapest. Hungary has an embassy in Nicosia. Both countries are full members of the European Union.
Czech Republic		(See Czech Republic–Hungary relations) Czech Republic has an embassy in Budapest. Hungary has an embassy in Prague. Both countries are full members of the European Union and NATO.
Denmark		(See Denmark–Hungary relations) Denmark has an embassy in Budapest. Hungary has an embassy in Copenhagen. Both countries are full members of the European Union and NATO.
Estonia	1924-02-24	(See Estonia–Hungary relations) Estonia has an embassy in Budapest. Hungary has an embassy in Tallinn and two honorary consulates (in Tallinn and Tartu).[222] Both countries are full members of the European Union and NATO.
Finland	20 May 1947	(See Finland–Hungary relations) Hungary recognised Finland on August 23, 1920. Finland recognised Hungary on September 10, 1920. Finland broke off diplomatic relations on September 20, 1944. Diplomatic relations were re-established on May 20, 1947. Both national languages, Finnish and Hungarian, are Uralic languages, which has led to cultural exchange albeit at a much smaller scale compared to the third major Uralic-speaking country, Estonia. Finland has an embassy in Budapest and an honorary consulate in Pécs.[223] Hungary has an embassy in Helsinki and four honorary consulates (in Turku, Mariehamn, Tampere and Joensuu).[224] Both countries are full members of the European Union and NATO.
France		(See France–Hungary relations) France has an embassy in Budapest. Hungary has an embassy in Paris. Both countries are full members of the European Union and NATO.
Germany		(See Germany–Hungary relations) Germany has an embassy in Budapest. Hungary has an embassy in Berlin. Both countries are full members of the European Union and NATO.
Greece		(See Greece–Hungary relations) Greece has an embassy in Budapest. Hungary has an embassy in Athens. Both countries are full members of the European Union and NATO.
Ireland	1976	Since 1991, Hungary has an embassy in Dublin and 2 honorary consulates (in Athlone and Cork).[225] Since 1996, Ireland has an embassy in Budapest.[226] Both countries are full members of the European Union and the Council of Europe. There are approximately 8,034 Hungarians living in Ireland.[227]
Italy		Hungary has an embassy in Rome, a general consulate in Milan, and 11 honorary consulates (in Bari, Bologna, Florence, Genoa, Naples, Palermo, Perugia, Trieste, Turin, Venice and Verona).[228][229] The Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia (today Lombardy, Veneto, South Tyrol, Trentino and Friuli-Venezia Giulia in Italy) and Hungary were crownlands of the Austrian Empire. Italy has an embassy in Budapest and 3 honorary consulates (in Nyíregyháza, Pécs and Szeged).[230] Both countries are full members of the European Union and NATO.
Kosovo		(See Hungary–Kosovo relations) Hungary recognized Kosovo on 19 March 2008.[231] Hungary has an embassy in Pristina.[232] Kosovo has an embassy in Budapest.
Latvia	1921-07-21	Diplomatic relations between the two states were renewed on September 2, 1991. Hungary has an embassy and an honorary consulate in Riga.[233] Latvia has an embassy in Budapest. Both countries are full members of NATO and of the European Union. Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Hungary
Lithuania		Hungary has an embassy in Vilnius and an honorary consulate in Kaunas.[234] Lithuania has an embassy and an honorary consulate in Budapest.[235] Both countries are full members of NATO and of the European Union. Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign affairs: list of bilateral treaties with Hungary (in Lithuanian only) Archived 2011-09-30 at the Wayback Machine
Luxembourg		Hungary has an embassy in Luxembourg City. Luxembourg is accredited to Hungary from its embassy in Vienna, Austria. Both countries are full members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, of the European Union and of NATO.
Malta	1964	Hungary is accredited to Malta from its embassy in Rome, Italy and through an honorary consulate in Valletta. Malta is accredited to Hungary from its embassy in Vienna, Austria and through an honorary consulate in Budapest. Both countries are full members of the European Union. Direction of the Hungarian representations in Malta[permanent dead link] Direction of the Maltese representations in Hungary[permanent dead link]
Montenegro		Hungary recognized Montenegro shortly after their declaration of independence. Hungary has an embassy in Podgorica. Montenegro has an embassy in Budapest.[236] Hungary is an EU member and Montenegro is an candidate.
Netherlands		(See Hungary–Netherlands relations) The Netherlands has an embassy in Budapest and an honorary consulate in Pécs.[237] Hungary has an embassy in The Hague and six honorary consulates (in Amsterdam, Arnhem, Aerdenhout, Winsum, 's-Hertogenbosch, and Curaçao).[238] Both countries are full members of the European Union and NATO. Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Hungary[dead link]
North Macedonia		Hungary has an embassy in Skopje. North Macedonia has an embassy in Budapest. Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe and NATO. Hungary is an EU member and North Macedonia is an candidate.
Norway	1920	Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1920, but diplomatic representations were set up only in 1947–1948. Hungary has an embassy in Oslo and 2 honorary consulates (in Stavanger and Sarpsborg).[239] Norway has an embassy in Budapest.[240] Both countries are full members of NATO.
Poland		(See Hungary-Poland relations) Hungary has an embassy in Warsaw, a consulate-general in Kraków and a vice-consulate in Wrocław. Poland has an embassy in Budapest. Both countries are full members of the European Union and NATO.
Portugal	1974-07-01	Hungary has an embassy in Lisbon and 3 honorary consulates (in Funchal, Porto and Tavira).[241][242] Portugal has an embassy in Budapest. Both countries are full members of the European Union and NATO.
Romania	1920	(See Hungary–Romania relations) Relations between the two states date back from the Middle Ages. Until the end of World War I, Transylvania, Banat, Crişana and Maramureş were part of the Kingdom of Hungary, after the war they became part of the Romanian territory. Hungary has an embassy in Bucharest, 2 general consulates in Miercurea Ciuc and Cluj, and 4 honorary consulates in Iași, Constanța, Drobeta-Turnu Severin and Timișoara.[243] Romania has an embassy in Budapest and 2 general consulates in Gyula and Szeged. Both countries are full members of the European Union and NATO.
Russia		(See Hungary–Russia relations) Hungary has an embassy in Moscow and two consulate-generals (in Saint Petersburg and Yekaterinburg). Russia has an embassy in Budapest and a consulate-general in Debrecen. Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Both countries legalized homosexuality while opposing same-sex marriages, and outlawed LGBT propaganda towards minors since 2013 (Russia) and 2021 (Hungary) respectively.
Serbia	1882-11-21	(See Hungary–Serbia relations) Hungary has an embassy in Belgrade and a general consulate in Subotica. Serbia has an embassy in Budapest and an honorary consulate in Szeged. Hungary is an EU member and Serbia is an candidate.
Slovakia	1993	(See Hungary–Slovakia relations) Before 1920, the territory which called Slovakia today was an integral part of the Kingdom of Hungary Hungary has an embassy in Bratislava. Slovakia has an embassy Budapest and a general consulate in Békéscsaba. Both countries are full members of the European Union and NATO.
Slovenia		(See Hungary–Slovenia relations) Both countries have an ethnic minority from the other state: in Hungary there are around 3,000 Ethnic Slovenes, and in Slovenia there are around 7,713 Ethnic Hungarians. Hungary has an embassy in Ljubljana.[244] Slovenia has an embassy in Budapest and a general consulate in Szentgotthárd.[245] The countries share 102 km of common border. Both are full members of NATO, European Union and the Schengen Agreement. See also Hungarian Slovenes
Spain	1938-01-13	(See Hungary–Spain relations) Hungary has an embassy in Madrid, a consulate-general in Barcelona and 5 honorary consulates (in Gijón, Málaga, Palma de Mallorca, Tenerife, and Valencia). Spain has an embassy in Budapest. Both countries are full members of the European Union and NATO. Spanish Ministry of Foreign Relations about the relation with Hungary (in Spanish only)
Sweden	1945-12-28	(See Hungary–Sweden relations) Hungary has an embassy in Stockholm. Sweden has an embassy in Budapest. Both countries are full members of the European Union and NATO.
Switzerland		Hungary has an embassy in Bern and consulate in Geneva. Switzerland has an embassy in Budapest. Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe.
Ukraine		(See Hungary–Ukraine relations) Hungary has an embassy in Kyiv, a consulate general in Uzhhorod, a consulate in Berehove and an honorary consulate in Lviv.[246][247][248] Ukraine has an embassy in Budapest and a general consulate in Nyíregyháza. There are around 155,000 Hungarians in Ukraine who live in Ukraine, mostly in the Zakarpattia Oblast at the border with Hungary. Both countries share 103 km of common border. See also Hungarians in Ukraine Hungarian consulate in Berehove (in Hungarian and Ukrainian only) Archived 2013-04-09 at the Wayback Machine
United Kingdom	22 May 1921	(See Hungary–United Kingdom relations) Hungary established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 22 May 1921.[29] Hungary maintains an embassy in London.[249] The United Kingdom is accredited to Hungary through its embassy in Budapest.[250] Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights, the International Criminal Court, NATO, the OECD, the OSCE, and the World Trade Organization. Bilaterally the two countries have a Double Taxation Convention.[251]

Oceania

Country	Formal Relations Began	Notes
Australia	1972	Australia is accredited to Hungary from its embassy in Vienna, Austria and maintains an honorary consulate in Budapest. Hungary has an embassy in Canberra, a consulate-general in Sydney and four honorary consulate (in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth).[252] Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade about relations with Hungary
New Zealand		Hungary has an embassy in Wellington. New Zealand is accredited to Hungary from its embassy in Rome, Italy and maintains an honorary consulate in Budapest.

Foreign criticism

In December 2010, the Fidesz government adopted a press and media law which threatens fines on media that engage in "unbalanced coverage".^[253] The law aroused criticism in the European Union as possibly "a direct threat to democracy".^[253]

In 2013, the government adopted a new constitution that modified several aspects of the institutional and legal framework in Hungary. These changes have been criticized by the Council of Europe, the European Union and Human Rights Watch as possibly undermining the rule of law and human rights protection.^[254]

See also

• List of diplomatic missions in Hungary
• List of diplomatic missions of Hungary
• Visa requirements for Hungarian citizens
• Nikola Gruevski former Prime Minister of Macedonia given asylum in 2018
• Marcin Romanowski Polish politician given asylum in 2024