Hungary to reopen its embassy in Syria, Szijjártó says in first announcement of the year

"The armed conflicts have subsided" so Hungary is reopening its embassy in Damascus, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó announced in his first post of the year on Facebook. "Re-establishing our personal presence on the ground will give us the opportunity to receive first-hand, reliable information on the developments in the country, to represent our political position and, if necessary, to take action in the interest of Hungarian citizens," Szijjártó wrote.

He added that the Hungarian ambassador to Syria was the first one among Western diplomats to contact the leaders of the two largest Christian denominations in the country to inquire about how the Christian communities have experienced the events of the past weeks.