Keresés: %s

The V4 countries are committed to EU integration and its achievements, but a strong EU needs to be built on strong Member States, emphasised His Excellency Ambassador Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky at a panel discussion organised by King’s College London Diplomatic Society. The event on 5th December 2016 brought together the four Visegrád ambassadors for an exchange of views with the audience on the future of the EU after Brexit.

The strength of the EU lies in being “united in diversity”, which includes preserving national and cultural identities as well – we do not need “more” or “less” Europe, but a “better” Europe, the Ambassador underlined. The four ambassadors stressed that there are no official positions on Brexit, since negotiations haven’t started yet, but all referred to the importance of preserving strong bilateral and multilateral ties with the UK. Ambassador Szalay-Bobrovniczky added, that we do not need a hard or soft, but rather a fair Brexit.

Bishop László Kiss-Rigó of Szeged-Csanád, Rev. Canon John O’Toole, National Ecumenical Officer and Secretary for Dialogue and Unity at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, and Father Valentine Erhahon of Saint Thomas Roman Catholic Church concelebrated the Sunday Mass in Canterbury Cathedral. The Very Rev. Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury was also in attendance.
The Mass in honour of Saint Thomas Becket’s relic from Esztergom was attended by István Mikola, Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Etelka Romanek, Mayor of Esztergom and Ambassador Péter Szabadhegy.
 
The Joyful Company of Singers, conducted by Peter Broadbent, sang Hungarian pieces – Missa Brevis by Mátyás Seiber, Pange Lingua and Ave Verum by György Orbán – during the mass, after which they gave a free concert of Hungarian folk songs adapted by Béla Bartók, Zoltán Kodály and Ferenc Farkas in the Green Court Deanery of Canterbury Cathedral.

Towards the conclusion of the Becket Week of 23 and 29 May, the relic of St Thomas Becket from Esztergom arrived at Canterbury, its final stop in the United Kingdom, before returning to Hungary.
During a one-hour-walk, the relic was accompanied by the Hungarian delegation and pilgrims prior to its solemn arrival at Canterbury Cathedral on the afternoon of 28 May. István Mikola, Minister of State of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, László Kiss-Rigó, Bishop of Szeged-Csanád, Etelka Romanek, Mayor of Esztergom and Péter Szabadhegy, Ambassador of Hungary to the UK, together with the interested pilgrims, took this walk with the relic to recall the traditional historical pilgrimage.

The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis, the Dean of the Canterbury Cathedral, the Rt Revd Trevor Willmott, the Bishop of Dover, and Councillor George Metcalfe, the Lord Mayor of Canterbury welcomed the Hungarian delegation together with the relic and the pilgrims at the Cathedral. After a service of celebration, a reception was given in honour of the Hungarian delegation by the Dean.

St Thomas Becket’s relic from Esztergom together with the Hungarian delegation arrived in Rochester on 27 May and was welcomed in Rochester Cathedral.

Before the solemn Evensong, The Very Rev. Philip Hesketh, The Dean of Rochester Cathedral, and Rt Revd James Langstaff, the Bishop of Rochester welcomed the relic and the delegation from Hungary, Mr István Mikola, Minister of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr László Kiss-Rigó, Bishop of Szeged-Csanád, Ms Etelka Romanek, Mayor of Esztergom and Ambassador Péter Szabadhegy. After the Evensong, Mr Jeremy Walker, Principal of the Kings’ School, Rochester gave a reception in honour of the Hungarian delegation.

A symposium commemorating St. Thomas Becket was organised in Lambeth Palace on 27 May. István Mikola, Minister of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary gave a welcome speech in the presence of Etelka Romanek, Mayor of Esztergom.

During the event Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, were among the lecturers. Bishop László Kiss-Rigó of Szeged-Csanád talked about the cult of St Thomas Becket in Hungary.

Following the lectures, Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Ambassador Péter Szabadhegy gave a reception to the participants of the symposium.

One of the UK’s renowned writers and philosophers, Professor Roger Scruton gave a lecture as a part of the series of the annual Eric Symes Abbott Memorial Lecture in Westminster Abbey on 26 May.

The Eric Symes Abbott Memorial Lectures are given in memory of Dean Eric Symes Abbott (1906-1983), a former Dean of Westminster. The Eric Symes Abbott Memorial Fund was endowed after his death by his friends to provide for an annual lecture on spirituality and pastoral theology. 
 
The event was held in the presence of the relic of St Thomas Becket kept in Esztergom, the primatial seat of Hungary. The lecture was attended by László Kiss-Rigó, Bishop of Szeged-Csanád, Etelka Romanek, Mayor of Esztergom and Ambassador Péter Szabadhegy.

László Kövér, Speaker of the Hungarian Parliament paid a visit to London on 25 May where he attended events of the Becket Week and met with British counterparts.

The visit included meetings with John Bercow MP, Speaker of the House of Commons, members of the Parliament’s Hungary All-Party Parliamentary Group and the Hungarian community in London. The Hungarian Speaker attended a Solemn Mass in the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in Parliament and a reception with MPs and peers to honour the St Thomas Becket pilgrimage.

On its one-week tour in the United Kingdom, the relic of St Thomas Becket was welcomed at Westminster Abbey on 24 May. The Solemn Evensong on this occasion was attended by His Excellency János Áder, President of the Republic of Hungary, and Ms Anita Herczegh, the First Lady of Hungary.

Before the service the Presidential couple, accompanied by The Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster Abbey, laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey.

During his visit to the United Kingdom connected to the Becket Week, President János Áder met Prime Minister David Cameron at 10 Downing Street on 24 May. The two leaders touched upon the upcoming EU referendum in the UK and exchanged views about climate change and global water issues.
Talking about the EU referendum, which is to take place on 23 June, Prime Minister Cameron informed President Áder that polls showed growing support for staying inside the EU. He expressed the hope that this would also be reflected in the results of the referendum.
President Áder proposed to Prime Minister Cameron that the world’s ten largest greenhouse gas emitters, among them the United Kingdom, should use the momentum gained by the Paris Climate Change Agreement to reach an even more ambitious agreement. The President also proposed that the OECD could coordinate climate cooperation between either the G7 or G20 countries in finding cost-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions for storing excess renewable energy.

Global water issues were briefly touched upon as well as Hungary is due to host a World Water Summit in November this year.

Source: Embassy / MTI

The relic of St Thomas Becket arrived from Esztergom, Hungary, for a week-long journey to the United Kingdom and was welcomed at a Holy Mass at Westminster Cathedral on 23 May, celebrated by His Eminence Cardinal Péter Erdő, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Primate of Hungary, and His Eminence Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, in the presence of His Excellency János Áder, President of the Republic of Hungary, and Ms Anita Herczegh, the First Lady of Hungary.

The Holy Mass was followed by a reception given by HE Péter Szabadhegy, Ambassador of Hungary, and His Eminence Cardinal Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. More than 300 guests representing the cultural and political life of the United Kingdom and Hungary attended the event.

This reception held at Westminster Cathedral Hall could not take place without the generous support of Gedeon Richter.

On the first day of his London visit, President János Áder met Lord Speaker Baroness D’Souza in the House of Lords and the Rt Hon the Lord Mayor Alderman the Lord Mountevans at the Mansion House.

In the House of Lords, the President and the Lord Speaker discussed issues of mutual interest: the current challenges facing Europe, the migration crisis and the EU referendum in the UK.
The Rt Hon the Lord Mayor Alderman the Lord Mountevans held a lunch in honour of President Áder with high ranking representatives of the City of London at the Mansion House. During the lunch they discussed the events of Saint Thomas Becket week and his heritage in the United Kingdom and Hungary, as well as economic ties between the two countries.

In a joint initiative with the Church of England and the Catholic Church of England and Wales, the Embassy of Hungary will bring the relic of Saint Thomas Becket, having been kept in Esztergom/Hungary for centuries, to the United Kingdom. The set of events called ‘Becket Week’ will take place between 23 and 29 May.
During this period, the relic from Esztergom will be displayed and celebrated together with other relics of Saint Thomas at Westminster Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, Lambeth Palace and Mercer’s Chapel. At the end of the week, the relics will be transferred to Rochester Cathedral and to Canterbury Cathedral. The launching event of the ‘Becket Week’ will be a Holy Mass at Westminster Cathedral on 23 May celebrated by Cardinal Péter Erdő, Primate of Hungary, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest and Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, in the presence of János Áder, President of the Republic of Hungary.

The Hungarian Science Club has been founded by the Hungarian Embassy in London on 28 January 2016. The event was addressed by Gergely Prőhle, deputy state secretary. At the academic symposium Hungarian scientists presented their work, followed by music from singer and songwriter Veronika Harcsa. The participants also commemorated Ignac Semmelweis on the occasion of the Semmelweis Year.

The Hungarian Science Club in London aims to provide a platform for Hungarian academics and researchers working in the United Kingdom to share their work and network. The invited guests were Hungarian academics and researchers working in the United Kingdom and members of the scientific committees of the British parliament and policy makers. The event was addressed by Gergely Prőhle, Deputy State Secretary for EU and International Affairs from the Ministry of Human Capacities, who played an important role in the foundation of the Science Club. At the academic symposium Dr. Márta Korbonits, Professor of Endocrinology from the Queen Mary University of London, Dr. Gábor Bátonyi, Lecturer in History from the University of Bradford and Dr. Gábor Csányi, Reader in Engineering from the University of Cambridge presented their works, which was followed by music by Veronika Harcsa and the participants also viewed the Semmelweis exhibition paying tribute to Ignác Semmelweis on the occasion of the Semmelweis Year.

Ambassador Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky had a discussion with Lord Fowler on 10 January, following the appointment of Lord Fowler as the new Lord Speaker in September 2016.
The parties exchanged views about the role of the House of Lords in the Brexit process and the Ambassador gave an overview about the Hungarian position on Brexit. They also touched upon the migration crisis with the Ambassador explaining the background of the measures taken by the Hungarian government to handle illegal migration.

Ambassador Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky had a discussion with Alun Cairns, Secretary of State for Wales on 10 January 2017 at Gwydyr House.

During the meeting, the parties talked about recent developments in Hungary and Wales. The Ambassador and the Secretary of State also exchanged views about opportunities for further deepening the cooperation between Hungary and Wales.