In Diplomacy & Trade’s Witty Leaks series, diplomats give their personal account of the experiences of their “excursions” to Hungarian culture, art, gastronomy and landscape. This time, it is about similarities between Hungarians and Kazakhs in the past and in the present. In October 2019, arriving as my country's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in Budapest […]
In the WittyLeaks series, Diplomac&Trade regularly publishes the personal accounts of ambassadors and other diplomatic mission leaders accredited to Budapest. This time, the Irish ambassador shares the story of an artist connecting his country with Hungary. Art and culture has the power to connect people, to bridge divides, either physical or emotional. I come to […]
Opposite the Central Station in Brussels, at the entrance from the ‘Spanjeplein’, a statue of 20th century Hungarian composer Béla Bartók was inaugurated in 1995. It was a gift from the city of Budapest on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Bartók's death. That year, a series of concerts ‘Jubilate Hungaria 95’ around the […]
There are at least two things that I have learned since I started my life as a diplomat 35 years ago. First, that time flies. Even if three or four years may seem as an eternity when you arrive to your new posting, there are so many things in your work that will absorb you […]
This year marks the 100th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties between the Netherlands and Hungary, and so, it is an excellent occasion to enlist examples in history that make up a multi-level bond between the two countries and the two peoples. When I say our common history dates back to centuries, I mean it. Perhaps […]
In the WittyLeaks series of Diplomacy&Trade, diplomats share personal accounts of their experiences on “excursions” into Hungarian culture, art, gastronomy and scenery. This time, the Peruvian ambassador delves into comparisons between Peru and Hungary. When a diplomat arrives in the country where he or she will start a tenure, it is natural to review the […]
In the WittyLeaks series, Diplomacy&Trade regularly publishes the personal accounts of ambassadors and other diplomatic mission leaders accredited to Budapest. This time, the departing Norwegian ambassador looks back at his career. I have now over 40 years of diplomatic service behind me, continuously since 1980. I was very pleased to be posted as ambassador to Budapest. […]
In the WittyLeaks series, Diplomac&Trade regularly publishes the personal accounts of ambassadors and other diplomatic mission leaders accredited to Budapest. This time, the Malaysian Ambassador shares his thoughts of living through periods of epidemic. The rapid and sudden global spread of the novel coronavirus, the cause of the COVID-19 disease, has been disruptive and played […]
I remember from my childhood a charming school rhyme: Maybe verdure is more luxuriant elsewhereAnd the birds in the branches are singing more merrilyPerhaps, perhaps, but dearer to the heart isA song from the Vistula River and the sands of Mazovia. These simple words contain a universal feeling of strong emotional bond with the native […]
On April 17th, we commemorated the six-year anniversary of the death of the greatest Colombian writer who ever lived, Gabriel García Márquez. It was only a few months ago, on the banks of the Danube river here in Budapest, that we had the honor to name a city park after him. Before I start, let […]
A few days before I was to take the flight to Budapest in November 2018, I met the then External Affairs Minister of India to seek her guidance for my work in Hungary. One important message she gave me was that many individuals spanning several generations had contributed to furthering India-Hungary friendship, including Sándor Kőrösi […]
Before moving to Hungary, I thought of it as a southern country with warm weather through all seasons and no tradition of winter sports whatsoever. But I was wrong because one of the things that has definitely amazed me in Budapest is the passion for ice-skating. I have loved ice-skating since my childhood. Growing up […]
There were, of course, more than three meetings. More than 33 in fact, but these three, which I will briefly present, seem the most important from today's perspective. They are deeply rooted in memory and heart. 1975-1976 July 1975. My first trip to Hungary. Together with my fiancée Márta Gedeon. We speak Polish. In addition […]
On the day I was to present my Letter of Credentials to the President of Hungary, an official car arrived promptly to pick me up at my residence. The convoy advanced, solemn and with sirens blaring, toward the Castle. When crossing the Danube from Pest to Buda on the Elizabeth Bridge, I turned to my […]
Walking through any city in the world, one can see a lot of monuments that remind them of historic personalities or events. Budapest is not an exception, it is a city that has a lot to boast. The monuments tell us about the history of the country, the people it is proud of and its […]
