Keresés: %s

Ms Judit Varga, Minister of State for EU Relations arrived in London for a visit.

During her visit Ms Varga met Minister of State Martin Callanan (Department for Exiting the European Union) for an exchange of views on the current EU and UK political situation. She also discussed the political state of play on Brexit, in particular the issue of the Northern Irish backstop with Mr Greg Hands, Conservative MP for Chelsea and Fulham. Ms Varga also participated at the Matthias Corvinus College London Summit event.

In several respects, Europe finds itself at a crossroads. Fundamental decisions have to be made which will determine the fate of the continent. Some of the major challenges Europe is facing today have a bearing on the Christian identity of the continent. This thousand-year old identity could provide inspiration for finding the appropriate answers to these challenges. This puts a particular responsibility on the shoulders of Christian-affiliated media and more generally of journalists who are guided by the teachings of the Church in their everyday work. Bringing together eminent persons dealing with contemporary issues of Christian civilization and the Christian segment of the press for an intensive exchange of views would give an impetus to the reflection process already going on in Europe and form the current political discourse.

With the above considerations in mind, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary decided to provide a platform for an international conference. The three-day public event will take place on 4-6 September 2019 in Budapest. The conference will be structured around broad topics like “Christian journalism”, “Christianity in the 21st century”, “Persecution of Christians” and “Christianity and family”. Under each broad topic different panels would examine specific aspects of the issue at hand in more detail. As keynote speakers and panelists, distinguished and internationally respected personalities with various backgrounds (e.g. religious leaders, scholars, politicians, journalists) and views will be invited from all over the world, in order to encourage interesting, thorough and fruitful discussions, looking at different perspectives and giving food for future thought. Every keynote address and panel discussion will be followed by a Q&A session with the speakers in order to offer ample opportunity for an interactive exchange of views.

Some of the questions that will be up for debate: What does Christianity mean in the 21st century? How should developments in Europe and other parts of the world be interpreted?  What are the biggest dilemmas of our times? How can our respective families and nations best be served? What is Christian journalism? What constitute Christian values? Which Christian values are under biggest threat?

bfcc.media/

On Saturday, 13th July, the Cowdray Park Polo Club hosted the 2nd Hungarian Ambassador’s Cup, sponsored by the Hungarian Tourism Agency.

After the success of the first event last year, Hungary supported one of the Quarter Finals of the prestigious King Power Gold Cup for the second year in a row. The Ambassador presented the handsome Hungarian Ambassadors Cup, commissioned by the Hungarian Tourism Agency, to the winning team, VS King Power, and rewarded the best playing pony of the match. The event provided opportunity to present Hungary’s achievements in equestrian sports and to introduce its potential in equestrian tourism.

Minister of Defence Dr Tibor Benkő visited London on 17th July to sign a Statement of Intent on British-Hungarian military cooperation.

The minister met Secretary of State for Defence Penny Mordaunt to discuss the bilateral relationship between the United Kingdom and Hungary and the Zrínyi 2026 programme. The Secretary of State also presented the British view on hybrid warfare and non-conventional threats. Minister Benkő and Secretary of State Mordaunt signed a Statement of Intent on bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries. Moreover, the Minister held talks with Minister of State for Defence Earl Howe and Brigadier Gerhard Wheeler about the British system of cadets and reserve soldiers.

During the visit Minister Benkő also met members of the press to talk about current defence issues. 

On Monday, 2nd September 2019, the Embassy of Hungary in London was proud to host a fine dining evening as a tribute to award winning Hungarian agricultural products, which have proved their excellence at this year’s Great Taste Award (GTA), often described as the ‘Oscars’ of the food world.

The Central and Eastern European region performed exceptionally well in terms of the 2019’s awards. What’s more, our Hungarikums, such as the acacia honey, szegedi paprika and Hungarian grey cattle were also among the winners. There are only four countries around the globe, where the three most exclusive and luxurious delicacies (goose liver, caviar and black truffle) are produced in natural conditions and have been so for a long time. The four countries: Italy, Spain, France and, you guessed it, Hungary. If we pair these truly unique gourmet treats with the world-famous naturally sweet wine, Tokaji Aszú, we already have a clue, why Ambassador Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, invited the best of fine food writers and retailers to proudly present them the gastronomy of Hungary.

The Dinner was one of a kind, as it was built around Best of Hungary's GTA winning products, highlighting the ingredients and their wide range of usage. Further unique moments of the night were the Hungarian wines and champagne specialities served between the courses, made from indigenous Hungarian vine varieties. The wine pairs were arranged by three recognized sommeliers, who were WSET wine academics and leading winery owners. The menu was compiled by the chefs of Turul Project London, a fine dining pop-up initiative, creating an evening of Hungarian fine food and wine feast, in one of Europe's multicultural and gastronomically fascinating capitals.

Throughout the dishes of the evening, 11 ingredients of GTA winning products that won 25 stars combined in 2018-19 were used. The wines served, provided by Happy Hungarian Wines, were international competition proven, representing Hungarian varieties (Furmint, Kadarka).

All of this would not have been possible without a superbly broad endeavour of manufacturers, wineries, importers and distributors, the Hungarian chefs of London and last but not least the Hungarian Embassy and the Ministry of Agriculture.

Ambassador Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky opened Hungarian painter Dorottya Kalocsai’s ’Handle With Care’ exhibition at the Embassy of Hungary.

The exhibition is the third part of the series organised by the Embassy to provide opportunity for young Hungarian artists to showcase their works in the UK. The paintings will stay at the Embassy for a few months and guests, representatives of the British political, business and cultural scene visiting the Embassy will witness the artist’s remarkable talent. The exhibition documents the momentary state of objects and the environment, observing and interpreting the various daily common tools in the series of drawings.

The Embassy opened its reception rooms to the public and filled them with many smaller exhibitions to give a comprehensive picture about Hungary. In the library, our volunteer introduced Hungarian literature and history and showcased some valuable and well-known books from Hungarian authors or about Hungary. The Zsolnay Manufacture opened its ‘Exhibition around the world’ here is London and displayed some of the handcrafted and painted masterpieces of Zsolnay ceramics while also presenting its rich history. In the drawing room, people could appreciate the talent of young Hungarian artists, Dorottya Kalocsai and Dávid Merényi, through their paintings. Thanks to the help of the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture, guests learned about the Hungarikums. The Hungarian National Film Fund provided material for us to present the successes of the Hungarian film industry. The Ministry of Defence provided a roll-up exhibition for the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Hungary joining the NATO. The Hungarian Tourism Agency and Visit Debrecen offered information for those interested in travelling to Hungary.

On Saturday, Ambassador Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky gave a tour for the guests, talking about the building’s architecture, the work of the Embassy and Hungary. Later in the afternoon visitors commemorated the anniversary of the Hungarian regime change with the pianco concert of Mihály Berecz and the exhibition provided by the ‘30 Years of Freedom’ commemorative year initiative.

On Sunday, those up for a challenge took a cookin8g class with our chef, Krisztián Ortmann and learned about Hungarian gastronomy. With the help of our volunteer interpreter, we could offer a guided tour for hearing-impaired guests. In the afternoon visitors could participate in the Hungarikum Show, provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and the dancers of the Hunique Dance Ensemble.

Szabolcs Takács, Ministerial Commissioner for Brexit visited London between 18-20 September 2019 to hold meetings on the Brexit process, the future relationship between the UK and Hungary, and the rights of Hungarian citizens during Brexit. He met with Lord Callanan, Minister of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union and experts of the Ministry; Christopher Pincher, Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; Sir Tom Scholar, Permanent Secretary to the Treasury; and other MPs, researchers and experts.

In the last days there have been talks in the British press that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had asked certain EU countries, including Hungary, to veto any extension to the Brexit deadline. Referring to the speculation Minister Szijjártó stated “We have read the rumors about this but the Hungarian government has not been approached with such a request.”

Read more about Minister Szijjártó's statement on Brexit: http://abouthungary.hu/news-in-brief/fm-rights-of-hungarians-living-in-the-uk-must-be-upheld/

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó arrived in London for an official visit on 3 October 2019. He met his counterpart, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and highlighted shared priorities and possible venues for cooperation including the mutual priority of helping persecuted Christians worldwide. They emphasized that relations between Hungary and the UK should be unharmed by Brexit. During the meeting with Minister Szijjártó, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove shared details of UK’s preparation for all Brexit scenarios. Continuing his visit Minister Szijjártó discussed with Secretary of State Steve Barclay details of the current state of the Brexit negotiations with special attention to the rights of Hungarian citizens in the UK and UK citizens in Hungary.

The Minister also gave a speech at a business forum at the Embassy to talk about investment opportunities and prospects in Hungary with representatives of the British business community. Moreover, he also met several business leaders investing in Hungary discussing their experiences. Father János Csicsó of the Association of Roman Catholic Hungarians in Great Britain briefed the Minister about his parish and the Hungarian community living in UK. Minister Szijjártó also gave an interview to BBC2 Newsnight’s Kirsty Wark covering Brexit negotiations and Hungarian foreign policy priorities.

The second National Educational Conference for Hungarian Schools in the UK was held on the weekend of 12-13 October 2019 for teachers and educational professionals of Hungarian schools operating in the UK.

In cooperation with the National Federation of Hungarians and the Hungarian Cultural Centre, the two-day programme focused on cooperation, educational materials and the impact of Brexit. Altogether 70 professionals from 19 schools participated in the event, sharing their expertise and best practices. The good work of the professionals is proved by the high number of students in their courses each year. 

The Embassy of Hungary held its annual reception to commemorate the anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and Freedom Fight.

This year the event was held at the prestigious Travellers Club, which, in recognition or the significance of the evening, for the first time in its history flied the Hungarian flag on the building, thanks to its good relationship with the Hungarian Embassy. The event was attended by over 250 guests, with representatives from the British political, business, cultural and scientific elite, Hungarian organizations, and members of the Diplomatic Corps.

Ambassador Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky in his welcoming speech highlighted that 2019 is a special year, as Hungary not only celebrates the heroes of 1956 but also the 30th anniversary of the regime change in 1989. He also emphasized that freedom did not end in 1989, it started there. It is our job now to decide what to do with that freedom, and Hungary decided to build a democracy, in its own way. A Christian democracy, protecting sovereignty, independence, national identity and family.

In his speech the guest of honour, Mr John O’Sullivan CBE, President of the Danube Institute, gave an overview of the “cruel and hard” 20th century Hungarian history. He highlighted that the heroes of 1956 claimed the recognition and admiration of the world. However, further 30 “confusing” years were needed for the promises of 1956 to come to realization.

To further demonstrate the significance of the anniversary, the Embassy presented an exhibition of press photos from 1989-1990, showing moments of the important changes

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Travellers Club for hosting us and for flying the Hungarian flag the whole day to salute the heroes of 1956 and 1989.

To commemorate the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and Freedom Fight, Chargé d’affaires Beáta Margitay-Becht and Defence Attaché Colonel Viktor Makay, with Polish Ambassador Arkady Rzegocki and Deputy Defence Attaché Colonel Norbert Czerbniak laid wreaths at the plaque at the Polish Hearth Club in London. The plaque was made by the British-Hungarian Fellowship and the Polish community of London in 1957 in memory of the victims. 

H.E. Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky gave a welcome reception for Hungarian freshman students studying in UK institutions on 29 October 2019. Senior and PhD students from Oxford, Cambridge, Goldsmith Universities and UCL gave inspirational presentations about their scientific and community organizing extracurricular activities. 

On the occasion of the 161th anniversary of the death of Lieutenant General Lázár Mészáros, freedom fighter and the first Minister of War responsible to the Parliament of Hungary, a memorial plaque was revealed at St Peter’s Church in Titley on 16th November 2019. General Mészáros died in the nearby Eywood estate in the 10th year of his exile. In his last will, he expressed his wish that his remains should not to be brought back to Hungary until the last foreign soldier left the country. Honouring this request, his descendants refused to allow transferring his ashes back to Hungary until the 1991, after the last Soviet soldier left the country.

The delegation, led by Brigadier General Ernő Baráth, Commander of the Budapest Garrison Brigade participated at the ceremony together with the Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Herefordshire, Mr Christopher James OBE, DL. Professor Dr. Róbert Hermann the „Academic Deputy of the Commander of the MoD Military History Institute and Museum”, defence attaché Colonel Viktor Makay and Mr Gábor Szentiványi, former Ambassador to the Court of St James’, also took part in the commemoration.

In his speech General Baráth praised the commitment and determination of General Mészáros, saying that he was the only member of the Batthyány government who chose to stay in his position after the defeat of the revolution in October 1848 and as such, he was the guarantor that the Hungarian side in the self-defence was legitimate. 

Reverend Ben Griffith, Vicar of the Church stressed that the local community is proud of the special relationship they have with Hungary. After the commemoration Ms. Marie-Christine Winstone, who has been taking care of the grave in the past, was awarded the bronze grade of the Distinguished Certificate of Taking Care of Military Graves of Hungary in recognition of her dedicated work.

The grave of General Mészáros can be found in the courtyard of the church to this day. Thanks to the local community’s dedication, the original Hungarian inscriptions is still visible: “To General Lázár Mészáros, the good Patriot, the valiant Soldier, the noble Friend.”

Rabbi Yoni Golker hosted Hungarian Ambassador Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky and renowned author Douglas Murray for an engaging conversation as part of the Judaism Alive Series, on 13 November 2019, at the St John’s Woods Synagogue in Central London.

During his opening remarks, Douglas Murray noted that his personal experience seemed to contradict some of the “incredibly easy and very lazy analyses” published by mainstream media. He pointed to an “extraordinary breakdown of understanding” between Eastern and Western Europe, with some Western European leaders treating the former in a rather condescending manner, often perceiving them as “junior partners”. Murray warned against a malicious stereotype concerning the Hungarian Government and Hungarian people, which claims that “seemingly, they could do absolutely nothing right”. Murray cited the family support policy efforts, the help to persecuted Christians and the safety the Jewish community enjoys in Budapest compared to other capital cities of Europe as important areas for reflection.

Ambassador Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky used his opening remark to emphasize the importance of engagement and outreach in the work of an ambassador, and expressed his appreciation for the warm welcome he received from the Synagogue’s community. Referring to Hungary’s change of system in 1989, the Ambassador accentuated, that the successful transformation lead to today’s Hungary, which is stable, safe, democratic and prosperous. The Jewish community is embraced as part of the Hungarian character and while things can always be improved upon, today our Jewish population is supported in various different ways, and enjoys a vibrant life both in Budapest and in the countryside. Their security is seen as an absolute priority by the government, which as a result, adopted the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism, and introduced zero tolerance against anti-Semitic actions, instilled in national legislation. Consequently, the number of anti-Semitic incidents in Hungary is one of the lowest in Europe and continues to decrease year by year. The Hungarian government is working to rebuild trust with the Jewish community by accepting responsibility for the crimes of the Holocaust (the Ambassador quoted Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in this instance).

Douglas Murray went for difficult and tricky questions, tackling topics from the stigmatisation of the Hungarian government as anti-democratic, the meaning of the often-quoted ‘illiberal democracy’, the existence of far-right political movements in Hungary and the adversity with George Soros. The Hungarian Ambassador explained the underlining view of the Hungarian government, that following a series of democratic elections (and the Hungarian government is now in its third consecutive term with two-third majority in Parliament) it should be able to utilise its mandate to govern. Its goal is to introduce changes that will support its vision for Hungary, a Central European way of life based on the Judeo-Christian tradition, patriotism, the nation state and families, and to fight those who fundamentally challenge this at a political level, such as George Soros.

In closing, Douglas Murray thanked the Ambassador for the “frankness and equanimity” he showed when tackling some exceptionally difficult issues raised. He also urged members of the audience to visit Central Europe and Budapest to see for themselves, as he did, how excellent the exhibitions on aforementioned topics are. Rabbi Yoni Golker praised the initiative of the Hungarian Embassy to reach out to the Jewish community, a sentiment expressed by audience members as well.

Minister of State Gábor Gion arrived in London for an official visit between 20-21 November to discuss the business environment and fiscal policies of Hungary with representatives of the financial services sector, rating agencies, as well as think tanks, such as the Legatum Institute and ResPublica. He also took part and presented at JP Morgan’s CEE Investor Forum. Mr Gion gave an interview on Sky News’ business programme, Ian King Live.

Prime Minister Orbán attended the high-level reception at the Buckingham Palace upon the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II and at a Christmas reception in 10 Downing Street hosted by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Minister Szijjàrtó participated in a dinner hosted by his partner Dominic Raab and Minister Benkô by Ben Wallace in Lancaster House. During the two-day programme, Minister Szijjártó met Rehman Chishti, the British Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief discussing efforts to assist persecuted Christians. He also gave interviews to CNN, BBC News, BBC World, Sky News, CNBC, CCTV, Washington Examiner and the Hungarian M1 and HírTV television channels.
Before the programme of the Summit, Sir Roger Scruton writer-philosopher received the Commander’s Cross with the Star of the Order of Merit of Hungary from PM Orbán at the Embassy of Hungary. In his laudation the Prime Minister stressed that Mr Scruton was an ardent and active ally of anti-communist forces in Central and Eastern Europe and he is a long-time friend of the freedom-loving Hungarians. In his speech Sir Roger highlighted that Hungary set an example in protecting its national identity at a time when there is a noticeable push for eliminating the national differences between countries.

Author and historian Philip Mansel joined Prof Dr Ferenc Tóth, senior fellow of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences for a talk on Louis XIV, Ferenc Rákóczi at the Embassy on 30th January 2020. The two experts discussed the relationship between the two historical figures, touching upon the wars of the Spanish Succession, Rákóczi’s War of Independence and his exile. Mr Mansel also presented his new biography, King of the World: The Life of Louis XIV.