Washington
-- Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Medgyessy has concluded an official
visit to the United States at the invitation of President George W.
Bush between June 19-24, 2004. Prime Minister Medgyessy arrived in San
Francisco June 19 for a round of discussions with business leaders in
the IT industry and paid a visit to IT giants Oracle and Solectron's
corporate headquarters. Both companies have significant investments in
Hungary. The Prime Minister was hosted in San Francisco by Congressman
Tom Lantos (D-Ca.) and his wife, Annette.
In
Washington, DC, Prime Minister Medgyessy met with President George W.
Bush at the White House, as well as Secretary of State Colin L. Powell
and Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy G. Thompson on June
22. The Prime Minister attended a reception held in his honor at the
Capitol. The Prime Minister visited IBM's e-Government Center in
Washington and hosted a meeting for American business leaders at the
recently opened Hungarian Technology Center (HTEC) in Vienna, VA, on
June 23.
The
meeting brought together a large number of technology companies from
the U.S. and Hungary. Mr. Medgyessy made clear in his speech that it
is our intention to maintain strong business ties with the U.S. built
on the Hungarian science industry and combine that with American
venture capital. He had separate meetings with the representatives of
Exxon Corp., GE, EDS, and others on their recent investments in
Hungary. The Hungarian delegation also included György Csepeli,
second in command at the Ministry of Informatics and Communications,
as well as Miklós Boda, president of the Hungarian Science Board.
In New York, Prime Minister Medgyessy met with New York
state Governor George E. Pataki and United Nations Secretary-General
Kofi A. Annan on June 24. At separate award ceremonies held at the
Consulate General of Hungary, he honored distinguished author and
Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel and former U.S. Secretary of
State Henry Kissinger by presenting them with the Order of Merit of
the Republic of Hungary on behalf of Hungarian President Ferenc Mádl.
Before
returning to Hungary, the Prime Minister also met with young Hungarian
professionals working in the Washington, DC,
Boston, and New York metro areas.
The
First Lady, Laura Bush, attended a luncheon with the Prime Minister's
wife, Katalin Medgyessy, hosted by the wife of Ambassador Simonyi, Náda
Peják. The luncheon, where Hungarian meals and wines were served, was
also attended by Ms. Alma Powell, wife of the Secretary of State, and Amb.
Nancy Brinker, former U.S. ambassador to Hungary.
The Prime Minister honored Mr. Elie Wiesel and Mr.
Henry Kissinger (shown here with Ambassador András Simonyi). Elie
Wiesel, a Nobel laureate, is of Hungarian descent. In his speech,
delivered partly in Hungarian, he described the horrors of the
Hungarian Holocaust but also his deep affection as a child towards
Hungary and Hungarian culture, which made his plight even sadder. Mr.
Wiesel called on Hungary to continue its efforts against
anti-Semitism, and any forms of discrimination. Mr.
Kissinger was honored for his long-standing support for the freedom of
Central and Eastern Europe that had earlier been under Soviet
domination.
In
Washington, DC, Prime Minister Medgyessy met with President George W.
Bush at the White House, as well as Secretary of State Colin L. Powell
and Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy G. Thompson on June
22. The Prime Minister attended a reception held in his honor at the
Capitol. The Prime Minister visited IBM's e-Government Center in
Washington and hosted a meeting for American business leaders at the
recently opened Hungarian Technology Center (HTEC) in Vienna, VA, on
June 23. 
The
First Lady, Laura Bush, attended a luncheon with the Prime Minister's
wife, Katalin Medgyessy, hosted by the wife of Ambassador Simonyi, Náda
Peják. The luncheon, where Hungarian meals and wines were served, was
also attended by Ms. Alma Powell, wife of the Secretary of State, and Amb.
Nancy Brinker, former U.S. ambassador to Hungary.
The Prime Minister honored Mr. Elie Wiesel and Mr.
Henry Kissinger (shown here with Ambassador András Simonyi). Elie
Wiesel, a Nobel laureate, is of Hungarian descent. In his speech,
delivered partly in Hungarian, he described the horrors of the
Hungarian Holocaust but also his deep affection as a child towards
Hungary and Hungarian culture, which made his plight even sadder. Mr.
Wiesel called on Hungary to continue its efforts against
anti-Semitism, and any forms of discrimination. Mr.
Kissinger was honored for his long-standing support for the freedom of
Central and Eastern Europe that had earlier been under Soviet
domination.