New Year's reception

The President of the Republic of Hungary, Pál Schmitt gave a reception to the members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to Budapest. The event took place in the Sándor Palace housing the President’s Office in the Buda Castle of the Hungarian capital.

In welcoming the ambassadors and heads of mission, the Hungarian President stated that Hungary is facing a huge challenge during the first half of 2011. “My country assumed the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union a few days ago. For the next six months, we do not only have to stand up for ourselves but also for several hundreds of millions of people. Fate has put a lot of work on our shoulders, but Hungarians are “hungry’ for success and hold European Union objectives and the cause of a strong Europe close to their hearts,” he said.

He added that “we are ready to put our special skills in the services of the Union. Namely, the skills that allowed the Hungarian nation to stand up and start over again, whatever the circumstances were.”