Gödöllõ to become EU Presidency HQ

The Grassalkovich Castle in the town of Gödöllõ, just east of Budapest will be the central venue for the Hungarian Presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2011, hosting the meetings of EU ministers.

The decision has been announced by Ferenc Robák, the government commissioner to oversee preparations for the Hungarian period of the rotating presidency. Between January and June next year, 200-250 events are scheduled to take place in Hungary in connection with the EU presidency, including 16 conference by ministers.

Gödöllõ mayor György Gémesi says this puts his town to the map of Europe for good. He promises that Gödöllõ will do its best to enhance the positive image of Hungary and create the best possible conditions for the events.

Gödöllõ is a town of nearly 34,000 inhabitants 30 kilometers from downtown Budapest. The Grassalkovich Castle was built in the middle of the 18^th century. More than a century later, it was purchased by the Hungarian state and was given – as coronation present – to Emperor Franz Joseph and his Hungarian wife Queen Elizabeth. Thus, the building complex is also known as the Royal Palace of Gödöllõ. In the past 15 years, large-scale renovation works took place to restore the complex and these activities in the past two years were geared towards making the venue suitable for hosting events of the Hungarian EU presidency.