Political Quotes

“later this afternoon, several of my colleagues and I have the honor of hosting Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany in the U.S. Capitol. The Prime Minister has served for just a little bit over 1 year. His country, as we all know, is a valued friend and ally of the United States. Hungary's transition to a Western-style parliamentary democracy was the first and smoothest of the countries formally under the dominion of the Soviet bloc. In May of 1990, Hungary held its first free parliamentary election. In the intervening years, Hungary has made tremendous strides in strengthening its democratic foundation and becoming more integrated in the Euro-Atlantic institutions. It became a full NATO ally in March of 1999. Last spring, it earned full membership to the European Union, the EU. Today, the United States and Hungary maintain a positive and a productive bilateral relationship. Our two countries work closely together and through international organizations such as the EU and NATO. In particular, Hungary has been a steadfast ally for the United States and NATO missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and in the Balkans. It is a member of the coalition that liberated Iraq. It also contributed troops to Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and has played an important role in the training and equipping of the Afghan National Army. Recently, Hungary offered to lead one of the provincial reconstruction teams to help stabilize Afghanistan. Hungary is a brave nation.…”