Rabat — Hungarian Ambassador to Morocco Miklós Tromler still remembers his family’s puzzled looks when he told them he wanted to move to the North African country. It was 2014, and the Hungarian diplomat had just been offered a position as deputy head of mission in the capital city of Rabat. Back in Central Europe, Morocco remained largely an unknown territory.

“Everybody was inquiring, why Morocco? Why that country?” Tromler recalled in a recent exclusive interview with Morocco World News (MWN). “It was mainly because of the lack of knowledge and information about Morocco. In Central Europe, people don’t obviously think about North Africa at first sight.”

But the once public servant had done his homework, and he saw opportunity in a country most Hungarians overlooked. Eleven years later, as Hungary’s ambassador to Morocco, he has helped transform that relationship into one of his country’s most dynamic partnerships in Africa.

The journey from professional water polo player to diplomat wasn’t a straight path, but Tromler insists his athletic career prepared him perfectly for the embassy halls of Rabat.

The sportsman’s approach to diplomacy

In Hungary, water polo isn’t just a sport — it’s a national passion. Tromler grew up dreaming of Olympic gold, competing for national and club teams across Hungary, Italy, and France.