November 7, 2008

Ambassador Somogyi  Visits Washington State, Meets Business Leaders  and Hungarian Community 
 

From October 29 to 31 Ambassador of Hungary, Ferenc Somogyi visited Seattle and its metropolitan area at the invitation of Mr. Mark Piggott, Chairman and CEO of Paccar. The truck company recently opened its central and Eastern European parts distribution center in Zsámbék, Hungary.  Other programs were organized by Mr. David Hughes, the President of the Hungarian-American Chamber in Seattle and Mrs. Helen Szablya, the Honorary Consul of Hungary in Seattle. The visit created great opportunities for Ambassador Somogyi to meet business executives and political leaders in the region, and he also met with the local Hungarian community.
 

Ambassador Somogyi was the featured speaker at the Seattle Trade Development Alliance on October 30. His keynote address, titled "Hungary and the United States: Allies and Cooperating Partners," was part of the Alliance's business breakfast series.

The Hungarian Ambassador met with Lieutenant Governor Brad Owen, Seattle Mayor Gregory J. Nickels and Jim Pearman, the Mayor of the City of Mercer Island. He met with executives from Amazon, Microsoft, Paccar, and many other companies.
Ambassador Somogyi was the featured speaker at the World Affairs Council on October 31. He gave a short introduction to the present situation in Hungary and the strategic cooperation with the United States.

While in Seattle, the Ambassador addressed a class of European Studies at the University of Washington. He answered the student’s questions and gave insights about his experience as chief negotiator during NATO and EU accession talks.