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June 30, 2012
Strong bonds between Hungary and the USA
“Our word of freedom is the same as that of the United States, they mean the same concept to us”, said Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in the Parliament of Hungary during the inauguration of the Tom Lantos Institute on Thursday, June 30, 2011 in Budapest.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in the Parliament of Hungary (photo by Sam Stewart, US Embassy in Budapest)
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivering her speech in the Parliament of Hungary
Inauguration of the Tom Lantos Institute in the Parliament of Hungary First row: Deputy Speaker of the European Parliament László Tőkés, Hungarian Foreign Minister János Martonyi, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Mrs. Annette Lantos, widow of the late US Congressman Tom Lantos Second Row: Hungarian Deputy Foreign Minister Zsolt Németh, Hungarian Ambassador to the US György Szapáry, Hungarian Minister of Human Resources Miklós Réthelyi, Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén, US Ambassador to Hungary Eleni Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis
During the ceremony, current US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs János Martonyi, Deputy Speaker of the European Parliament László Tőkés, US Congresswoman Karen Bass, former Hungarian Ambassador to India András Balogh, and members of the Lantos Family all gave a speech on the human rights heritage of the late US Congressman Tom Lantos and the significance of the future works of the Institute named after him.
Bilateral talks between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also held bilateral talks today. PM Orbán announced during the press conference after the talks that Hungary considers the relations with the United States a strategically important question, and Hungary, as a transatlantic country and member of the European Union, will support all areas where the EU cooperates with the US. He underlined that Hungary and the United States are partners in the transatlantic community, and their cooperation extend to areas in the peace-building efforts in Afghanistan and the dissemination of democratic values and principles.
The joint press conference of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán
He confirmed that Hungarian-American economic relations flourished during the last twenty years, but he emphasized the we would like to give a new impetus to the bilateral economic cooperation, which can be based on the assumption that Central Europe will be the economic engine of Europe. In summary, PM Orbán stated that today’s meeting, especially that it took place on the occasion of the opening of the Tom Lantos Institute, will be a deep experience and a strong moment in the history of the two nations, which confirmed their existing cooperation.
Hungarian Ambassador to the US György Szapáry, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (photo by Sam Stewart, US Embassy in Budapest)
Secretary Clinton confirmed that the United States built strong bonds with Hungary, and these relations are symbolized by the inauguration of the statue of President Ronald Reagan and the Tom Lantos Institute. She stressed during the talks that the Unites States considers very important the preservation of democratic institutions and the maintenance of the system of checks and balances in Hungary and all other nations, which now struggle to build up a democratic system in North Africa and the Middle East. She also confirmed that the United States stands united with Hungary in furthering the bilateral economic and security cooperation.
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Click here to watch the video of the press conference of PM Viktor Orbán and Secretary Clinton: http://www.kormany.hu/hu/miniszterelnokseg/videok/eros-kotelek-az-usa-es-magyarorszag-kozott
Click here to read in English the transcripts of the press conference: http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/06/167374.htm
Read the complete speech of Secretary Hillary Clinton given in the Hungarian National Assembly: http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/06/167359.htm
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