December 11, 2007

17th Hungarian American Coalition Mikulás Dinner Hosted By Embassy

The 17th Annual Mikulás Dinner of the Hungarian American Coalition (HAC) was co-hosted by Ambassador Ferenc Somogyi and HAC President Max Teleki with one hundred guests in attendance on Friday, December 5 at the Embassy of Hungary. The keynote speaker of the evening was Robert King, Staff Director of the Foreign Relations Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives.

 

Ohio State Representative Peter J. Ujvagi, Ambassador Ferenc Somogyi, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-Oh.), HAC President Max Teleki

As the official Master of Ceremonies of the evening, HAC Vice-President Andrea Lauer Rice introduced both Ambassador Somogyi and President Teleki with her legendary sense of humor.

 

 

MC Andrea Lauer Rice welcoming the guests

Ambassador Somogyi talked about the major achievements of Hungarian-American bilateral relations in 2008, such as Hungary joining the Visa Waiver Program, and stressed the importance of future cooperation in as many fields as possible.

 

Ambassador Ferenc Somogyi greeting the guests

László Hámos, President of the Hungarian Human Rights Foundation in New York, presented the  2008 Hungarian American Coalition Award to Robert King for his promotion of Hungarian-American political and diplomatic cooperation.

 

Hungarian Human Rights Foundation President László Hámos and HAC President Max Teleki

Robert King thanked the HAC for the award, and he was visibly emotional when reminiscing about his first trips to Hungary in the 1970s and 1980s, and how he has been watching the country closely since the start of the transition and consolidation. He also stated that Hungary rightly deserved to become a member of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program in 2008.

 

Bob King, the recipient of the HAC Award thanked the award with his well-known modesty and serenity
 

Bob King (middle) with his wife, Kay King (left), and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-Oh.) (right)

HAC President Max Teleki reported on the activities and achievements of the Hungarian American Coalition in 2008, and mentioned some of his plans for 2009.

 
 

HAC President Max Teleki looked back at 2008 and towards 2009

He also presented a special gift to Ambassador Somogyi: the original American flag that was flown over the United States Capitol in honor of the Ambassador on the day of the official admission of Hungary to the Visa Waiver Program.

 

Ambassador Ferenc Somogyi with the very flag that flew over the United States Capital on the day Hungary was admitted to Visa Waiver Program

Andrea Bors Somogyi, the wife of the Ambassador received a bouquet of flowers from Péter Wendl, an intern at HAC and the office of Congressman Dennis Kucinich.

 

Andrea Bors Somogyi with the HAC gift of a bouquet of flowers, with MC Andrea Lauer Rice

The desert of the dinner was presented by the Lázár Kovács, the Chef-in-Residence of the Embassy of Hungary.

 

HAC President Max Teleki, Ambassador Ferenc Somogyi, Embassy Chef Lázár Kovács, HAC Honorary Chairman Edith Lauer, HAC Award recipient Robert King
 

 

A set table of the Mikulás dinner
 

Menu of the Mikulás dinner
 

'Szentes' table
 

The official program of the 17th Hungarian American Coalition Mikulás Dinner