Boglárka Illés, the foreign ministerial state secretary for bilateral relations, and Naim Abed Yasser, Iraq’s minister for higher education and scientific research, signed a cooperation agreement in Budapest aimed at bolstering bilateral education relations. Illés told a press conference after the signing that under the agreement, Hungary will offer higher-education scholarships to 100 Iraqi students between 2025 and 2027 as part of the Stipendium Hungaricum programme. Abed Yasser said Iraq will also offer scholarships to Hungarian students, adding that they trusted that the student exchange programme would act as a „cultural bridge” between the two countries and have a positive effect on economic relations.