16 Jun 2025

As Botswana flag was majestically flown upon the Szechenyi Chain Bridge crossing the River Danube, which partitions the Hungarian capital Budapest into the western Buda and eastern Pest areas that historically merged to establish one city, President Advocate Duma Boko saw to the cementing of closer ties with Hungary. 

As President Boko met the European Union (EU) nation’s head of state president, Dr Tamas Sulyok and head of government, Prime Minister Viktor Okban, Botswana’s profile as a progressive democracy and emerging economy continued to gain traction.

“In our deliberations, the Hungarian leadership stressed that they are a country that seeks an equal, respectful and mutually beneficial partnership. That is very important in diplomatic and basic human relations. We expressed to them and the Hungarian business community what is unique about our country, and that our desire is to work together in fields such as agriculture, trade, information communication technology (ICT) and sports diplomacy as well as education and training,” President Boko said in an interview. 

Admitting that the country currently faces the challenge of an economy heavily reliant on a single commodity, diamonds, that faces the external shocks of global market sales, Advocate Boko said cultivating ties with industrially advanced economies such as Hungary was vital.

"Growing our economy will require inflows of foreign direct investment in addition to our domestic initiatives. This will widen our economic scope, generate jobs, broaden our revenue base, spread services and offer us skills transfer,” he said. Coming soon after a state visit to Estonia, a highly digitalised export driven economy with a small population of 1.3 million, President Boko’s visit to Hungary, a landlocked country with a population of 9.5 million, considered small by European standards but with a strong manufacturing based economy, depicts Botswana’s willingness to work with rapidly developing economies.

“It is important for us to work with smaller economies that are excelling. Nations such as Estonia and Hungary have a lot to offer us in terms of innovation and manufacturing, and tend to be less overbearing and treat us as equal partners. We are raising the international profile of Botswana, making the world pay attention to our country and to unleash our nation’s potent force to the world,” he said. 

During his visit, President Boko was conferred with an honorary black belt by the International Judo Federation (IJF) and his delegation, which included the Minister of Sport and Arts, Mr Jacob Kelebeng, also explored areas of working with Hungary on sports diplomacy and event hosting. 

“I was recognised for the work I have done with judo, and I was appointed special advisor to the IJF President in 2016. The IJF has pledged to construct a judo training academy, first at the Dukwi Refugee Camp, and there could be others constructed elsewhere. The IJF will also assist us promote the sport in our schools,” said President Boko. ENDS