After the General Assembly of the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) in Doha, Zoltán Kovács, the state secretary for international communication and relations, said the changes happening in the world should not be considered a problem, but rather an opportunity "to redefine our own role".
In his speech to the general assembly, Kovács, the head of Hungary’s delegation, said that in order for hunting and international hunting organizations to become cross-cultural mediators, they had to be aware of their abilities, preserve their traditions, but also adapt to changes in the world.
The state secretary said it was important to accept the existence of different approaches, emphasising, however, the need "to protect ourselves against attacks that threaten our very existence and traditional values". He said one such attack was the European Commission’s proposal to ban the use of lead shot in hunting and sports shooting, "which would render the existence of traditional hunting culture impossible".
Kovács said Qatar and the CIC were leaders when it came to protecting the values of hunting and "nature conservation based on common sense".
The state secretary held talks with Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie, Qatar’s minister of environment, on the sidelines of the general assembly. The two officials were in agreement on the importance of cooperation across regions and cultures.