50-60 people (diplomats and businesspeople as well as members of the French community in Budapest) attended the latest meeting of the Diplomacy & Trade Business Club (‘The Club’) that presented the paper’s recent French country focus.

An exhibition opened in the Hungarian National Gallery on June 27, presenting paintings and drawings by French and Hungarian impressionists and post-impressionists, including Claude Monet, Paul Gauguin, Pál Szinyei-Merse and József Rippl-Rónai.

France is a major investor in Hungary, its presence has tripled in this country between 2001 and 2011. The scope of this presence is described in the study published by the French Embassy and the Hungarian-French Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

Hungary has ensured France of its "full support and solidarity" in connection with the French military operations in Mali. A statement by the Hungarian Foreign Ministry views the French action as part of the global fight against terrorism.

Laurent Vandenameele, Executive Chef of Le Meridien Budapest's Le Bourbon restaurant was recently honored by the French President for his contribution to French gastronomy. The prestigious award was presented by HE René Roudaut, French Ambassador to Hungary.

Painter Paul Sarkozy, the father of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, has been made the Citizen of Szolnok, the town of his birth in East-Central Hungary, for his work as an artist and for enhancing the image of the town.

Hundreds of guests gathered at the residence in Budapest of the French Ambassador on July 14th for a reception on the occasion of the French National Day to enjoy the hospitality of Ambassador René Roudaut.

France celebrates Bastille Day as a national holiday on July 14 every year which was known as Fete Nationale or le quatorze juillet. Bastille Day is celebrated to commemorate the Storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. Storming of the Bastille, a fortress-prison which housed many political prisoners, arms and ammunition, symbolized uprising by the oppressed people in France and end of Monarchy in the country.

Within the frames of Francophone Film Week organized by the French Institute, Diplomacy and Trade visited the press screeding of a marvellous film by Jean Berger titled, 'My Afternoons With Margueritte and talked to the director.

The insurance company Groupama Garancia confirmed its market position in Hungary in 2010, following its well-defined strategy. CEO Yann Menetrier gave an overview of the company’s situation, the business environment, and its plans.

A manufacturer of fine silver flatware and home accessories, the House of Christofle, possesses an exceptional heritage that retraces a rich history spanning nearly two centuries. Its clients in Hungary include the country's two Michelin star restaurants.

Half a century – the Legrand plant in Szentes, southeast Hungary, celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2011. If you also consider its legal predecessors in Hungary, the period to celebrate is over nine decades.

For Diplomacy and Trade, French Ambassador René Roudaut speaks about the realization of his goals, the issue of transparency and the need for stability and predictability in investor relations in Hungary as well as developing cultural relations.

The Budapest French Institute is here to promote French language and culture, and to encourage cross-cultural exchange. The institution serves as a French hub and a second home for those 2-3,000 French living in Hungary.

An exhibition at the Budapest Institute and Museum of Military History showcases Hungarian Legionnaire memorabilia, paying tribute to those brave Hungarians who set out to serve in one of the harshest special forces units in Europe.