Hungary-Syria relations: a brief history

Hungary’s relationship with the countries of the Middle East has been shaped chiefly by the East-Central European country’s position in the world order. As Hungary is a post-Soviet country and was part of the Soviet bloc, Hungarian-Arab relations were characterised by Hungary’s alignment with Moscow's official friendly policy towards the Middle Eastern Arab countries. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the change of the regime in 1989 in Hungary led to closer relations with the democratic Western world that manifested in the joining of NATO and the EU. These alliances’ policies shaped many of Hungary’s relations with the Arab countries in the Middle East, thus with Syria. The two nations' relations became closer after 2011 with the Hungarian government’s support program for the persecuted Christians in the country and the region. After the migration wave 2015, Hungary emphasised the need for stability and peace in the region, and local help to avoid another migration wave to Europe. The fall of the Assad regime at the end of 2024 brought significant changes in the country that could escalate beyond the borders of the Middle Eastern state, and eventually to Europe as well. Therefore, this paper seeks to give an overview of the Hungarian-Syrian relationship and possible consequences of the fall of the Assad regime for it.