I am deeply shocked and saddened by the sudden death of Ronald „Ron” Asmus. Ronald worked between 1997 and 2000 as the U.S Deputy Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, specializing in security policy, NATO and transatlantic relations.
As a friend and ally of the United States, Hungary welcomes the successful military operation aimed at capturing Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaida, as a highly important victory of the international cooperation in the battle against terrorism. Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the most cruel acts of terrorism which have claimed the life of thousands of innocent people died during the firefight.
The Chiefs of Defence of the 27 European Member States meet on 3rd May 2011 in Brussels, under the chairmanship of General Håkan Syrén.
Threats emanating from cyberspace cause serious security concerns for many EU countries. In accordance with the Report on the Implementation of the European Security Strategy Ministry of Defence of the Hungarian Republic will host an international expert conference on cyber security.
Hungarian Defence Forces have taken the delivery of new US-made Humvees on the military base of the Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (HDF OMLT) in Khilagay, Afghanistan.
The Hungarian Presidency continues to strive to conclude discussions with Croatia by June, Minister of State for EU Affairs, Enikő Győri said, reassuring her hosts in Zagreb, on 28 April 2011; after conducting discussions with Chief Advisor to the Croatian Prime Minister Davor Stier and Foreign State Secretary for European Integration Andrej Plenković.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs invites tenders for the provision of services related to the receipt of applications for Schengen visas in New Delhi. Deadline for submission of tenders: 11 May, 2011.
Maj. Gen. Markus Kneip, Commander of the Hungarian Defence Forces Provincial Reconstruction Team (HDF PRT) visited Camp Pannonia in mid-April.
Tibor Navracsics, Minister for Public Administration and Justice, is initiating amendment of legislation relating to government officials with his proposal submitted to the National Assembly. The parliamentary debate on the bill begins in May and the new legislation can come into force on 1 June. The proposed legislation will give effective legal protection to government officials and civil servants in accordance with the Constitution by regulating reasons for dismissal, preventing dismissal without valid grounds, and expanding review procedures for appeals against dismissal.
At a conference in Debrecen László Szászfalvi, Minister of State for Minister of State for Church, Civil Society and Nationality Affairs, said that the Government seeks to support civic groups which show real results and progressive effort, instead of supporting organisations which ‘only exist on paper’; in this field the Government regards the entire Carpathian Basin as a unity.
Members of the Military Attaché Corps accredited to Budapest were shown static and dynamic displays at Pápa Airbase on 21 April.
Extremely intensive cleanup and restoration works are being carried out after the red sludge disaster: as previously agreed, by the end of June the Government will have compensated all the families affected. New homes for those needing them are being built in the residential estates of Devecser and Kolontár, and they will be handed over to the owners by 30 June, the statutorily agreed deadline.
The Government and its partners in civil society are organising the largest voluntary campaign ever undertaken in the country, announced Bence Rétvári, the Minister of State for Public Administration and Justice at a press conference held by Feneketlen Lake in Újbuda, Budapest.
On April 18 2011 the Hungarian Parliament adopted Hungary’s new Fundamental Law, which was signed in a ceremonial event by the President of Hungary, Pál Schmitt, on Easter Monday, 25 April 2011. The new Fundamental Law will come into effect on 1 January 2012.
Minister of National Development and Government Commissioner for Hungarian-Chinese Economic Relations Tamás Fellegi regarded the intensive discussions closed on Thursday in China as highly positive and successful. Mr Fellegi pointed out: their negotiating parties agreed that in addition to improving the quality of trade relations, the creation of a new type of long-term strategic co-operation between the two countries was of outstanding significance.
The meeting of EU Defence Policy Directors was held on 20 April 2011 in Brussels, in order to prepare the forthcoming meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Defence Ministers’ composition scheduled for May in Brussels.
Minister of National Development and Government Commissioner for Hungarian-Chinese Economic Relations Tamás Fellegi opened the visa office of the Hungarian Consulate General in Chongqing, the largest city in the central region of Chinese economic development, on 20 April, 2011. The event was attended by Consul General Tamás Hajba and Vice-President of Parliament István Újhelyi.
Minister of State for Infocommunication, Zsolt Nyitrai of the Ministry of National Development opened the two-day conference Future of Audiovisual Industry organised by the Hungarian Presidency in the Ethnographical Museum in Budapest, on 19 April 2011. In his speech Mr. Nyitrai pointed out: in respect of audiovisual content, the interests of consumers and authors of creative content must be approximated.
‘God bless the Hungarians!’ – Hungary’s new Constitution, which was adopted today by the Hungarian Parliament, begins with the first line of the National Anthem. More than twenty years after the political transition of 1989/90, our country has discarded its current fundamental law, which was based on the Soviet model and had been adopted as a temporary legislative framework. This past is being symbolically left behind with adoption of the new Constitution.
President and CEO of the Hungarian Railways (MÁV Zrt.), Ferenc Szarvas signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Cooperation with the leader of China Railway Construction Corporation in Beijing, on 19 April 2011. Mr. Szarvas visited China as a member of a delegation led by Minister of National Development and Government Commissioner for Hungarian-Chinese relations Tamás Fellegi.