Hungary will streamline its network of diplomatic missions and end up with 102 representations in 80 states as a result, Foreign Minister Peter Balazs told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday.
Mr Balazs said that Hungary would close its embassies in Luxembourg, Venezuela, Chile and Malaysia and as well as its consulates general in Dusseldorf, Lyon, Krakow, Chicago, Toronto, Sao Paulo, Hong Kong and Sydney.
Hungary will also integrate its UNESCO mission into the country’s embassy in Paris and combine its WTO and UN delegations in Geneva as well as its OSCE and UN delegations in Vienna.
Mr Balazs said that the closings and consolidations would save HUF 2bn (EUR 7.2m) per year and increase the efficiency of Hungary’s network of diplomatic representation.
The foreign minister said the closings and mergers will eliminate 70 positions, though all those who lose their jobs as a result of the closings and mergers will be transferred to other positions within the foreign ministry.
They will also review Hungary’s membership in international organisations, Mr Balazs said.
Mr Balazs noted that the foreign ministry’s 2009 budget was reduced from the originally stipulated HUF 49bn to HUF 44bn, adding that money stemming from sale of the ministry’s property in the affected locations will be allocated to the central budget.
Great!!! If they would save some moey from corruption I wouldn’t have to travel now 2.000 km when in m orginal country solving issue with hungarian burocracy. Obviously this proofs that to make business with Hungary is a stupidity.
You have just arrived back at the original quandary of our trepidation. Hungary must take a thorough shower. Not the type of joke Antall and his lackeys managed to accomplish back in 1990. Hungary as is now legally a prostitute. At the mercy of Jews and their accomplices in parliament and supporting servile media. These culprit people would last … let me think … about three minutes in the real Western world outside this dumpster. Those responsible need to be lined up against the wall and/or tortured to give up information, like the Jews had done since 1917 with their opponents. Every and all of them.
Honesty. Why do you think jews are in everything and they would want anything with this broken country. You are a paranoic freak uncapable to do something by yourself. So create this fantasia world to not face your own weekness.
Shut up Zsido vagy kommunista….
This is one of the most ridiculous (and believe me I remember quite a number of disturbingly illogical) actions that the Hungarian government has taken with regards to the diaspora. Toronto, Canada has 50,000 Hungarians, and serves a good chunk of the 300,000 Magyars who lived in the country. Toronto has the Magyar Kulturkozpont, 2 Hungarian bookstores, a Hungarian phone directory, butchers, libraries, churches, etc. Now we have to drive to Ottawa just because they want to cut back some costs? Ok Sao Paolo and Dusseldorf make sense, but Toronto?!?!?! First Malev stops flying here, now this. I guess they’re just trying to cut us off from the motherland completely.