On May 13, Hakob Arshakyan, Deputy Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly, met with representatives of national minorities in Hungary’s parliament, stressing that advancing Armenian-Hungarian relations is a key foreign policy priority for Armenia.

He announced plans to open Armenia’s first resident embassy in Budapest and expressed hope that Hungary would reciprocate by establishing a diplomatic mission in Yerevan.

The meeting highlighted the positive momentum in bilateral relations and the potential for expanding mutually beneficial cooperation through parliamentary diplomacy. Arshakyan praised the formation of friendship groups in both parliaments, calling them powerful tools for collaboration.

He noted that Armenia’s National Assembly includes representatives of the country’s four largest national minorities, ensuring that their community issues are heard and addressed.

“I am confident that based on our shared history, Christian values, and respect for international law, we can explore and harness our potential for deeper political dialogue and cooperation in economic and energy sectors—both bilaterally and multilaterally,” Arshakyan stated.

He also briefed the guests on current regional developments, outlining the government's Crossroads of Peace initiative and the ongoing Armenia-Azerbaijan peace negotiations. He stressed the urgent need for the safe return of Armenian prisoners held in Baku.

During the meeting, Nikoghos Hakobyan, the speaker of the Armenian self-government in Hungary, and Ljubomir Aleksov, speaker of the Serbian self-government, shared their areas of work and raised key issues facing national minorities.

Armenia and Hungary recently restored diplomatic ties, which were severed in 2012 after Hungary extradited Ramil Safarov—who had murdered Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan in Budapest—to Azerbaijan. Following the 44-day war, Hungary helped repatriate five Armenian captives, leading to the resumption of relations in December 2022. In 2023, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó visited Armenia, and Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan paid an official visit to Hungary in February 2024. Some reports suggest Hungary has since blocked European funding for Armenia, demanding equal support for Azerbaijan.