Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said on Monday that World Aquatics has inaugurated its temporary headquarters in Budapest after relocating from Lausanne. The minister noted that the governing body is set to move its entire global HQ to the Hungarian capital by 2027.
In his speech at the inauguration ceremony, Minister Szijjártó noted that under an agreement signed between the Hungarian government and World Aquatics a few years ago, the move also includes the establishment of a global training and education centre.
Minister Szijjártó noted that the office inaugurated on Monday is a temporary one, and the World Aquatics centre will be inaugurated next year. By 2026, he said, the entire global headquarters will be ready, and all aquatics-related activities will be managed from Budapest from 2027, according to a ministry statement.
The minister said it was an important goal to bring similar international organisations to Hungary, noting that with the relocation of World Aquatics, the country will host four sports federations.
He also underlined the importance of talent management, noting that the government is establishing a scholarship paving the way for 200 athletes to study at Hungarian universities from 2027. Minister Szijjártó said Hungary was proud that a Ugandan scholarship recipient has already qualified for the Olympics, adding that hopefully there would be more and more young swimmers who would make use of such opportunities.