Embassy Highlights
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Ambassador Foley accompanies Defense Minister Szekeres on a working trip to Afghanistan
Ambassador Foley, accompanying the Hungarian Defense Minister Imre Szekeres, arrived in Mazar-e Sharif, Balkh province, Afghanistan on Saturday, May 3. They met with the Regional Command (RC) North Commander German Brigadier General Dieter Dammjacob and the Afghan National Army (ANA) 209th Corps Commander Major General Morad Ali. They then traveled by helicopter to Pol-e Khomri, Baghlan province where the Hungarian PRT is located. The visit began with a Honor Guard presentation, followed by a general briefing by the Hungarian PRT Commander Attila Simon, and an inspection of PRT weaponry and equipment. Through her visit to the Hungarian contingent, Ambassador Foley wished to demonstrate U.S. appreciation of and support of Hungary’s efforts in the global fight against terrorism. The Ambassador also met with the U.S. army police mentoring team in Baghlan province and with local provincial Afghan leaders including the Deputy Governor Sayed Aziziullah Hashmi, Provincial Council Deputy Head Nooria Hamidy, and Police Chief Maulana Syed Khili. On Sunday, May 4 Ambassador Foley traveled to Kabul to visit the U.S. Embassy where she called on Ambassador William Wood and USAID Director Michael Yates. She met the Afghan Education Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar and the Hungarian Ambassador to Afghanistan Sándor Mátyus at lunch. And later in the day, she also visited the American University in Afghanistan and met with Afghan students.
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Current Issues |
Ambassador Foley Briefs Parliamentary Leaders on Visa Waiver Progress Foreign Ministry State Secretary Dr. Fekszi and Ambassador Foley briefed a group of Hungarian Parliamentary leaders representing all political parties on the progress that is being made in bringing Hungary into the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Speaking to the assembled Parliamentarians at the Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Foley stated: “I personally am 100 percent committed to getting Hungary into the VWP during the Bush Administration. More importantly, President Bush is committed to seeing Hungary enter the VWP before January 20, 2009. The U.S. Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Embassy Budapest are all committed to making this happen.” The negotiations between the two countries are on going and both sides expect a positive outcome soon. (full size photo)
Ambassador Foley Re-emphasizes "Never Again" in Visit to Auschwitz on International Holocaust Remembrance Day Ambassador Foley took advantage of a visit to the WWII prison camp at Auschwitz on May 1 on International Holocaust Remembrance Day to reinforce her emphasis on zero tolerance for anti-semitic views and other hate speech, wherever it occurs. Accepting the invitation of the Hungarian branch of the March of the Living Foundation, Ambassador Foley and Defense Minister Szekeres participated in the Hungarian memorial ceremony held at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp commemorating the 20th anniversary of the international March of the Living Foundation. Several hundred participants attended the event from Hungary and several thousand people came from over fifty countries. The Ambassador observed the memorial ceremony at the No. 18 “Hungarian Barracks” and partook in the March of the Living procession as well as the international commemoration at the concentration camp site in Poland. She noted the enormous emotional impact the visit made on her: "The enormity of the suffering that took place here is overwhelming and nearly incomprehensible. These excruciating memories must be kept alive and made real for future generations. We must remain vigilant in guarding against any re-appearance of the anti-Semitic hate speech that produced the tragedy that was Auschwitz!" (full size photo by Szilárd Koszticsák, MTI) For Ambassador Foley's personal thoughts on visiting Auschwitz, please click here.
U.S. Folk Dancers Attract Full House in Joint Performance with Hungarians Brigham Young University’s (BYU) American Folk Dance Ensemble lit up Budapest’s Heritage House Theatre with a high-energy performance of American, Quebecois, and Hungarian traditional dances on April 30, 2008. Ambassador Foley led an Embassy delegation of 20 to attend the event and presented the Ensemble with the Ambassador’s Award for Cultural Diplomacy. This is a recognition, the Ambassador underlined, of BYU’s excellence in representing American dance and its ability to bring together Hungarians and Americans not only on stage but in the audience. A major service to the goal of strengthening the bonds of friendship, the Ambassador concluded, deserves a formal expression of the esteem in which we hold America’s cultural ambassadors. (full size photo)
Ambassador Foley’s Outreach to Eastern Hungary As part of her on-going public outreach to Hungary’s towns and cities outside of Budapest, Ambassador Foley paid a day long visit to Nyiregyháza, the county seat of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg, on April 25, 2008. She spoke to the students at the College of Nyiregyháza about traveling and studying in the United States. While at this university, the Ambassador presented to the English Department the "American Bookshelf," a collection of American Studies books purchased by the Embassy’s Public Affairs Section. (full text - full size photo)
Earth "Week" Speaker Crisscrosses Hungary with News on California’s Air Pollution Reduction
State Department Speaker Catherine Witherspoon helped Embassy Public Affairs Section commemorate Earth Day with a week of presentation on U.S. state initiatives to reduce carbon emissions during her April 20-26, 2008 visit. Witherspoon met with environmental NGOs, business leaders, students, the general public, as well as mayors, city officials, and a Member of Parliament during her stops in Budapest, Debrecen, Veszprém, Tatabánya, and Keszthely. Ambassador Foley introduced Witherspoon at the Business Leaders’ Forum where she also set the stage for consultations with the Regional Environmental Center. At this center, Witherspoon discussed California’s efforts to involve governments, NGOs, and private companies in formulating environmental regulations. (full text - full size photo)
Ambassador Addresses Women's Conference On April 23, 2008, as part of her women's empowerment outreach, Ambassador Foley addressed a group of Hungarian students and alumnae at Mathias Corvinus Collegium during the Successful Women—Career and Family in the 21st Century conference. Ambassador Foley encouraged the conference participants to dream big dream, and to mentor others, as she shared her career experience and role as U.S. Ambassador to Hungary. (Ambassador's Remarks)
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