Erbil, Kurdistan Region — Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Thursday received Tivadar Gergely Takacs, the newly appointed Hungarian Consul General in Erbil, to discuss ways of strengthening bilateral relations between the Kurdistan Region and Hungary.

In a statement, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said Prime Minister Barzani congratulated Takacs on assuming his new role and reiterated the government’s support for expanding cooperation with Hungary in various sectors.

For his part, Consul General Takacs expressed Hungary’s interest in deepening ties with the Kurdistan Region, particularly in the fields of trade and economic development.

Hungary opened its Consulate General in Erbil in November 2014, becoming one of the first European Union member states to do so — a move that highlighted Budapest’s recognition of the Kurdistan Region’s strategic and economic significance.

In addition to security cooperation, Hungary has contributed to the Kurdistan Region through cultural and humanitarian initiatives, such as funding educational institutions, conducting archaeological missions, and publishing translations of Kurdish literary works. Hungarian scholarship programs have also enabled Kurdish students to pursue higher education in Hungary.

Hungarian President Katalin Novák visited Erbil in December 2022, where she inaugurated a Hungary-funded international school and met with senior Kurdistan officials.

Hungary has also played a role in the international coalition against ISIS. Between 2014 and 2018, the Hungarian government supplied the Peshmerga forces with several hundred tons of weapons and ammunition, while Hungarian military advisors provided training to Kurdish security forces. Currently, around 40 Hungarian military personnel are stationed in Iraq, mostly in the Kurdistan Region, as part of the US-led coalition against ISIS.