Azerbaijani-Hungarian ties developing in education and tourism
By Nigar Orujova
Hungarian universities are ready to provide education to Azerbaijani students at the European level.
Hungarian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Zsolt Csutora told Trend news agency that Azerbaijan and Hungary enjoy good relations in the political and economic fields, saying that currently, the Hungarian government intends to develop its relations with Azerbaijan in the humanitarian sphere and particularly in education.
According to Csutora, 12 leading Hungarian public and private universities will present the opportunities of higher education in Hungary at the seventh international exhibition Education and Career, which opened in Baku on October 4.
Azerbaijan is considered one of the most promising markets for Hungarian universities seeking to attract foreign students, and leading universities of the country are ready to provide Azerbaijani students with quality education in such majors as international relations, management, ICT, medicine, agriculture, engineering, and water supply.
According to Csutora, currently 35 Azerbaijani students are studying in Hungarian universities under the Azerbaijani state study abroad program for 2007-2015.
Csutora said some universities of the two countries have already established cooperation.
"In particular, preliminary agreement has already been reached on cooperation between the Azerbaijan University of Languages and the Balassi Institute. Next year, the two universities will sign a cooperation agreement, according to which Hungarian language will be taught in the Azerbaijani university," he said.
Csutora said further that good opportunities for the study of Azerbaijani students in Hungary were created by an agreement on a scholarship program for students, which was signed last year in Budapest on the sidelines of a meeting of the intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation.
Next year, he said, Hungary will admit 200 Azerbaijani students under this program. Under the mentioned agreement, the Hungarian side will pay for education, provide a dormitory and grant students a monthly scholarship worth about 42,000 forints, or about 150 manats.
According to Csutora, much interest is also taken in educating Hungarian students in Azerbaijani universities and work in that area is underway. In particular, this pertains to the Baku branch of Moscow State University, Azerbaijan State Oil Academy, and Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy.
Cooperation between Hungary and Azerbaijan is also developing in tourism, and the direct Budapest-Baku flight opened in June 2013.
The new route connected the two countries directly for the first time, boosting tourism and establishing an important link for trade and business.
According to the Hungarian consul in Azerbaijan and deputy head of the diplomatic mission, Erika Tot, the number of Azerbaijani citizens who applied for a visa to Hungary has increased more than four-fold.
"This increase is due primarily to the available direct air link between Baku and Budapest, as well as the acceptable level of the prices," Tot said.
According to her, the number of Azerbaijani tourists who previously already applied for visas has increased as well. This indicates that the first impression from visiting the country was positive and Azerbaijani citizens are satisfied with the quality of services rendered by the Hungarian tourism sector, she said.