Hungarian Foreign Minister János Martonyi decorated on Saturday several officials from foreign countries for their efforts to contribute to the success of Hungary’s European Union Presidency during the first half of 2011.

“More Europe” is the right answer when facing the current challenges; and at the same time, we need to preserve the Union’s existing achievements. That is according to Hungarian Foreign Minister János Martonyi speaking in London.

A Polish-Hungarian outdoor sculpture exhibition opened at The Hague, in and around Binnenhof that provides home for the Dutch parliament. Our picture shows Polish artist Robert Sobocinski with one of his works of art.

EU member states’ Home Affairs Ministers will return to the issue of the Schengen accession of Bulgaria and Romania by the end of September. This was the unanimous decision made at the Home Affairs Council meeting on June 9 in Luxembourg.

The Nature Directors Meeting organised by the Hungarian Presidency took place on the 7th-8th of June in Balatonfüred, Hungary. The informal setting allows Nature Directors as well as stakeholders to informally exchange views.

Foreign ministers and representatives of 27 countries of the EU and 19 of Asia have gathered for the 10th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Gödöllõ, east of Budapest, to discuss ways to cope with the non-traditional security challenges.

Olympic champions, politicians, television personalities will be active participants in this Sunday’s marathon and half marathon relay race in Budapest – an official Hungarian EU presidency event.

A new EU task force met for the first time this week on the fringes of e-Health week in the Hungarian capital to assess the role of information and communications technologies (ICT) in health and social care.

In an interview with the web site of the Hungarian EU Presidency, EC President José Manuel Barroso talked about the achievements of the current EU Presidency, the expansion of the EU and the Roma strategy, among other issues

A dispenser of pálinka, a special Hungarian fruit brandy, has been set up in the diplomatic lounge at Budapest’s international airport to welcome visitors with a combination of Hungarian flavors and ingenuity.

Member States’ ministers for EU affairs have adopted the Council’s conclusions about the Danube Region Strategy. Hungary considers that the first part of the Presidency’s agenda has been reached and preparations can begin for the specific programs.

The member states of the European Union advocate sound budget policy. That was the conclusion observers drew from the two-day informal meeting of Economic and Finance Ministers (ECOFIN) in Hungary this past week-end.

The Joint High-level Conference ‘Women in Science, Innovation and Technology in the Digital Age’ organized by the European Commission and Media and the Hungarian EU Presidency was held in Budapest in March 2011.

The European Union's Eastern Partnership summit will not take place during the Hungarian EU Presidency as scheduled but postponed the the period of the Polish presidency, the spokesman for the Hungarian presidency announced on Thursday.

The Roma (gypsy) population and their place in society are the main themes of an exhibition of pictures by four Hungarian Roma women painters that opened in the UNESCO headquarters in Paris on Tuesday evening.