On Thursday, May 9, 2025, a meeting was held between Gyula Petho, the Ambassador of Hungary to Iran, and the Governor of Yazd to explore potential avenues for mutual cooperation. The presidents of Yazd Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences and Yazd University were also present at the meeting.
During the session, the Governor of Yazd referred to the province’s plans to meet with ambassadors of foreign countries in order to establish provincial-level ties with target countries. He noted that academic and educational collaborations had already been in place, and that Yazd Universities had had extensive partnerships with Hungarian universities.
Mohammadreza Babaei further stated: “Given Yazd’s vast tourism potential and Hungary’s tourist attractions, one of the province’s goals is to enhance cooperation and connections in the tourism sector.”
He also pointed to some of the barriers preventing Hungarian tourists from traveling to Iran and Yazd, saying: “The red flag that appears next to Iran’s name in tourism search engines is completely unfair, especially considering the safety and calm of Iranian cities compared to other countries.” The Governor emphasized that this issue had also been raised by Hungarian tourists during their visits to Yazd, and that mechanisms must be put in place to resolve the problem.
The Hungarian Ambassador, Gyula Petho, noted the central role of Yazd University in relations with Hungarian academic institutions. He mentioned that with over 3,000 Iranian students currently studying in Hungary, the Hungarian government plans to grant full scholarships to 100 students annually.
He added that Iranian graduates are considered honorary ambassadors of Hungary after completing their studies.
Referring to the 100th anniversary of the establishment of official diplomatic relations between Iran and Hungary, he announced plans to visit Yazd province in the coming months to meet with university presidents and representatives of the Yazd Chamber of Commerce.
The Ambassador also commented on the red list of countries on international tourism websites, noting: “Iran is one of the safest countries, and its placement on the list is solely due to the general situation in the Middle East.”
He concluded by stating that Hungarian tourists consistently praise the safety and hospitality of Iranians upon their return and emphasized that efforts to strengthen academic and tourism relations between Hungary and Yazd will be seriously pursued through the embassy’s economic attaché.
