Shared interests and shared responsibilities

“Hungary is a country my family already knew well. We had had the opportunity to travel to this country before, and what we have experienced living here is consistent with our experience as visitors," the US Ambassador to Hungary, Colleen Bell tells Diplomacy & Trade in a recent interview published in the USA country focus section.

“When President Obama asked me to serve as his Ambassador to Hungary, I was not only honored by the opportunity to work here as the President’s representative, but also to do so in Hungary that my family already knew well. We have been warmly welcomed here by people all across the country and we have enjoyed learning about Hungary’s culture, history, and society,” the Ambassador of the United States of America to Hungary Colleen Bell tells Diplomacy & Trade. She also explains in an extensive interview that her mission is to be a strong advocate for U.S. policy and U.S. interests.

“Hungary is a country my family already knew well. We had had the opportunity to travel to this country before, and what we have experienced living here is consistent with our experience as visitors – we have been warmly welcomed by people all across Hungary, from all walks of life, and we have enjoyed learning about Hungary’s culture, history, and society.  And of course, we love Hungarian food and – being from California – we have loved discovering Hungary’s wonderful wine culture,” Ambassador Bell, who presented her credentials to Hungarian President János Áder on January 21 this year, tells Diplomacy & Trade.

Listening to Hungarians

Soon after her arrival in Hungary, she said she would like to see bilateral relations to be good, positive and fruitful. “As the Ambassador of the United States, my mission is to be a strong advocate for U.S. policy and U.S. interests, to explain who we are, what we believe, and why we believe it. It is also an important part of my job to listen – to hear what Hungarians think about issues of common concern, so that we have the best information possible when the United States makes foreign policy decisions that can affect both countries. We have areas where we disagree, but we should be able to have meaningful – sometimes even very difficult – discussions, always with a commitment to respect each other and to try to work for the best outcome for Hungarians and Americans, and for all those who are affected by our decisions.”

Shared interests

Ambassador Bell highlights that the United States and Hungary have a history of cooperation across the entire spectrum of our shared interests. “Sometimes, we disagree on issues, but we’re always working together to do what we believe is best for the American and Hungarian people. We do this with an understanding of our history and a sense of our shared responsibility to not only the people we represent today, but to future generations whose lives will be affected by our choices, our efforts. All of it is important, and we can always strive to do better.”

However, she also points out that there are some areas of cooperation that don’t get as much media attention as others. “One example is our cooperation on Holocaust education.  We just celebrated, together with the Hungarian Ministry of Human Capacities, ten years of cooperation to support teachers in both countries and to help them share resources and best practices for teaching about the Holocaust to students of all ages. This is important, sensitive work, and both countries are proud of our investment in this program.”

Another example she mentions as one also related to joint investment in strong communities is the law enforcement cooperation between the two countries. “Hungary works closely with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through a Budapest-based organized crime task force, where FBI agents and Hungarian NBI (Institute of National Security) officers work side-by-side, every day, to thwart criminal organizations threatening the economic and physical security of our two nations.” She adds that this effort is long standing and has improved every aspect of law enforcement relations between the countries. In addition, Budapest is home to the Department of State’s International Law Enforcement Academy. For 20 years, the ILEA has trained officers from all over Eastern and Central Europe in a myriad of law enforcement disciplines. “This demonstrates the shared values between the U.S. and Hungary concerning our public servants’ adherence to trusted law enforcement leadership, techniques, and ethics,” the Ambassador points out.

Partners in NATO

She underlines that “security cooperation between Hungary and the United States is a very important part of our bilateral relationship. We are committed NATO Allies, and NATO is the most successful security alliance in history. That success is a result of the enduring commitment by all Allies to constantly and consistently reinvest in our ability to defend ourselves and each other, and to work together toward our shared goal of a Europe that is whole, free and at peace.” At the recent NATO Summit in Wales, all Allies made a commitment to invest the financial and personnel resources necessary to defend themselves and to meet their commitments to each other as NATO Allies. “We support Hungary in meeting those commitments,” she adds.

She mentions the situation with Hungary’s neighbor, Ukraine, as a stark reminder that security cannot be taken for granted. “Russia has used its political, economic and military power to undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, flouting international law and destabilizing European security. The Transatlantic community – the EU, Canada, and the United States – has stood together in unity to condemn Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, and to bring diplomatic and economic pressure to bear on Russia to try to bring a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine. We all agree that there must be a diplomatic solution for Ukraine, and all parties must abide by the Minsk agreements,” Ambassador Bell points out. “At the same time, as we work toward a diplomatic solution for Ukraine, as NATO Allies, we have also reaffirmed our resolve that no NATO member will be an easy target for the type of intimidation and aggression that Ukraine has suffered,” she stresses.

Economic ties

The United States is one of the largest overseas investors in Hungary and the largest export destination for Hungarian goods outside of the European Union. Since 1989, over USD 9 billion worth of U.S. investment has come to Hungary. The U.S. Department of Commerce figures show that last year, two-way trade between the two countries was up by 35%, with 7% growth in U.S. exports to Hungary, and 28% growth in Hungarian exports to the U.S. The total volume of bilateral trade is now over USD 7 billion.

Many of the Hungarian companies exporting to the United States are small and medium enterprises, and they are based all over Hungary. “Let’s be very clear: investment and trade between the U.S. and Hungary have created and will continue to create jobs and to support economic development in both our countries.  We have much to celebrate – but could we do better? Of course we can,” the Ambassador emphasizes.

“Two areas we are working together to improve our trade and economic relations are by supporting the negotiations for a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement and by working to improve the investment climate,” she adds.

The area of business is one where Colleen Bell feels at home. Before her appointment as U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, she worked for more than twenty years as an international businesswoman. She strongly believes that the links between good governance and prospects for economic growth are very clear. “Companies will make investments where there is transparency and predictability – they will choose to invest in places with transparent regulations and tax regimes. They need to feel confident that the playing field won’t be arbitrarily changed, so that they can adequately make business projections and allocate resources.”

As for her impression of how satisfied American investors are with the current Hungarian business environment, the Ambassador underscores that Hungary maintains an open economy and attracting foreign investment remains important for the Hungarian government. “American investors I’ve spoken with are attracted to invest here because of Hungary’s high-quality infrastructure, labor force and central location. However, they also tell me that significant obstacles to investment remain and foreign direct investment in Hungary has actually lagged behind in recent years. Some investors are concerned about the level of stability in the tax and regulatory environment, including recent attempts by Hungary to apply taxes retroactively.”

Civil society

Ambassador Bell was quoted earlier as saying that the situation of civil society is a good barometer for democracy in a given country. She says she has managed to get acquainted with several NGOs and other representatives of the civil society in this country already.

“In my time here in Hungary, I have had the privilege and the pleasure to meet a broad variety of Hungarians who are working through civil society organizations to address the needs and challenges of their communities. Volunteering and civic engagement have always been and still are a cornerstone of American society, and I personally have worked for years with American civil society organizations on issues ranging from environmental advocacy to addressing domestic violence.  As I have said – as the President and Secretary Kerry have stated -- the United States believes that a vibrant and free civil society sector plays a crucial role in maintaining the health of a democracy,” she points out.

New destinations

Colleen Bell has been in Hungary for about five months and has already had some opportunity to travel in this country. In order to visit places of different interest, she even issued a call to Hungarians to suggest her destinations where no U.S. Ambassador had been before.

“The response to this call was beyond my wildest hopes! I reached out through our Facebook page to ask for suggestions from average Hungarians for things to see and do in Hungary, showcasing the diversity and beauty of the country and its people. We expected maybe about a hundred responses, but we received over a thousand submissions from people all over Hungary. It’s been very inspiring to see the incredible thoughtfulness that people put into their suggestions – people have shown an incredibly generous spirit to promote our cross-cultural understanding. I’ve had the chance to meet a few Facebook fans in Eger and Szeged, and we are making plans to travel more this summer, to meet our fans and hear their perspectives on their country,” the Ambassador concludes.