The Council of Central European Consular Corps

The honorary consuls’ work often requires them to see things from a broader, regional perspective, especially when it comes to representing the interests of countries further afield in a region. These cases almost automatically necessitate consultation and multi-level coordination. If Central European honorary consuls know each other well, results can be obtained more quickly regarding tasks requiring coordination. Such is the thinking behind the successfully implemented idea.

With this in mind, Mr. Erik Molnár, Honorary Consul of Namibia to Hungary launched an initiative to facilitate collaboration among Hungarian-speaking Honorary Consuls working in Central European countries. However, they set additional objectives and addressed further issues while making progress towards the establishment of the organisation, and by the time the Council of the Central European Consular Corps was created, it became clear that the organisation would have an important mission and, more than that, could provide decisive support to South Eastern European countries on the accession waiting list to join the European Union. 

Joint action by the Honorary Consuls will contribute to preserving European cultural values, traditions and common roots and support joint economic aspirations through academic/scientific and cultural cooperation and dialogue

Erik Molnár, the President of the Council of the Central European Consular Corps said at its inaugural meeting.

The President further stated that

regional cooperation would also play a very important role in the recovery from the socio-economic shock caused by the coronavirus pandemic and expressed the hope that all members of the Council would make their best endeavours to help to advance regional cooperation.

Although its first event in Budapest was cancelled because of the coronavirus, the members of the Council kept in touch with each other via regular videoconferences during quarantine and worked throughout that period to prepare for the post-pandemic period.

Furthermore, the Council aims to coordinate arts and cultural events, to hold consultations at the planning stage and to implement joint programmes in every sector of cooperation, while asserting economic interests. As Erik Molnár, the President of the Council of the Central European Consular Corps (CCECC) pointed out, for instance, science, education, research, agriculture, sports, arts, tourism, sending visiting professors, organising training courses and conferences will likely play an even more important and prominent role in reopening and resuming life than they did before the outbreak of the coronavirus.

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