Pakistan–Hungary Parliamentary Friendship Group with H.E. Dr. Zoltán Varga, Ambassador of Hungary to Pakistan
October 21, 2026:, Islamabad(NNP)
The Pakistan–Hungary Parliamentary Friendship Group (PFG), led by its Convener, Raja Osama Sarwar, MNA, held a meeting with H.E. Dr. Zoltán Varga, Ambassador of Hungary to Pakistan. The meeting was attended by Honourable Members of the National Assembly, including Ms. Munaza Hassan, Mr. Ammar Ahmad Khan Leghari and Mr. Naveed Aamir Jeeva, MNA and focused on strengthening parliamentary relations and exploring opportunities for enhanced bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, education, tourism and cultural exchange.
The Convener welcomed the Ambassador and reaffirmed the importance of Pakistan–Hungary relations, emphasising the role of parliamentary diplomacy in promoting mutual understanding and advancing cooperation between the two countries. He highlighted the value of regular interaction between parliamentarians, reciprocal visits and stronger institutional linkages in further consolidating bilateral ties.
Ambassador Dr. Zoltán Varga reflected on the positive relationship between Pakistan and Hungary and referred to the visit of the Honourable Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan to Budapest in 2025. He underscored the importance of building on this engagement through continued parliamentary exchanges and expressed the hope for reciprocal interaction between the two legislatures. He also highlighted the potential for closer people-to-people contact, noting that greater familiarity with Pakistan’s landscapes, culture and hospitality could help bridge the gap between perceptions and reality. He encouraged increased tourism, cultural exchanges and engagement between the business communities of both countries.
The discussion explored avenues for expanding bilateral trade and economic cooperation, particularly in agriculture, information technology, pharmaceuticals, textiles and defence. Participants highlighted opportunities for companies from both countries to explore new markets, strengthen business-to-business connections and develop mutually beneficial commercial partnerships. The potential for increased engagement through business delegations was also discussed. The importance of educational cooperation was underscored, particularly in view of the Pakistani students studying in Hungary and the opportunities to further strengthen academic and people-to-people links.
On parliamentary cooperation, the Convener proposed the formation of a corresponding Parliamentary Friendship Group in Hungary and suggested a virtual interaction between the two groups as an initial step towards establishing regular contact. In response, the Ambassador explained that Hungary had held elections in April 2026, following which approximately four-fifths of the government’s membership had changed, and that the formation of the Hungarian Parliamentary Friendship Group was in process.
The meeting concluded with a shared emphasis on sustaining parliamentary dialogue, promoting closer economic and cultural links, and encouraging greater interaction between the peoples of Pakistan and Hungary. Both sides recognised the importance of building on existing goodwill to advance mutually beneficial cooperation and strengthen relations between the two countries.
