On June 22 the personnel of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) lined up for a medal parade. Eighteen Hungarian and six Serbian troops received UN peacekeeping medals in recognition of their tour of duty and of promoting the esprit de corps in the mission.
The Government of Hungary has learned with deep sorrow of the death of Otto von Habsburg (20 November 1912, Reichenau – 4 July 2011, Pöcking).
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) held a weeklong meeting of its highest decision-making body, the FAO Council, in Rome. During the most prominent event of the 37th session of the FAO Conference, delegation leaders met Pope Benedict XVI. The Hungarian delegation was lead by Minister for Rural Development Sándor Fazekas, who following the papal audience told reporters: the fact that the Pope was kind enough to receive us following the FAO Conference is an important, symbolic and worthy end to the Hungarian Presidency of the Union. Meeting His Holiness touches one's soul and provides strength to persevere with the tasks ahead. It is impressive to see how intensively the Pope is concerned with the world's food supply and the plight of the starving -- continued the Hungarian Minister.
Hungary welcomes the results of the referendum held about Morocco’s new constitution on 1 July, which gives evidence of Morocco’s commitment to reforms and good governance.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán considers the bilateral meetings with Wen Jiabao, Chinese premier to an extraordinary success, marking a milestone in Chinese-Hungarian relations. The Chinese Premier, who came for a two-day visit to Hungary, had talks with the Hungarian Prime Minister on Saturday in the Parliament Building.
A ceremony to mark the handover of the position of EUFOR Deputy Commander/Chief of Staff (DCOM/COS) and the responsibilities of the Hungarian Senior National Representative (SNR) took place on Tuesday, June 28 in Camp Butmir, Sarajevo. The event marked the formal transfer of authority (TOA) from Brig.-Gen. Tibor Nagy – who has served as DCOM/COS for 17 months – to Brig.-Gen. Zoltán Gulyás. Maj.-Gen. József Kovács, Commander, Hungarian Defence Forces Joint Force Command (HDF JFC) also attended the ceremony.
The European Union and OPEC need to join forces to find a solution for meeting increasing oil demand while endeavouring affordable prices and a sound economic growth, emphasised Minister of National Development Tamás Fellegi at the eighth ministerial meeting of the Energy Dialogue of the European Union and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Vienna on 27 June 2011.
The outcome of the stress test started in the Paks Nuclear Power Plant may lead to security increasing measures above the level required in international practice so far, reported Minister of National Development Tamás Fellegi at the nuclear safety conference of the International Atomic Agency held in Vienna on 20 June 2011.
‘It is fitting for our compatriot, who is also about to become a fellow citizen, to celebrate this here with us today,’ said Zsolt Semjén, Deputy Prime Minister responsible for national priorities, at a press conference on Monday in the central domed hall of the Hungarian Parliament Building. He was greeting László Virág Balog – the hundred thousandth applicant for Hungarian citizenship in the simplified naturalisation procedure – and his family.
The extraordinary general assembly of the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF) approved of the European Union’s accession to the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF) on 23 June 2011 in Bern. On behalf of the rotating Presidency of the European Union, Tamás Iván Kovács, Deputy State Secretary for European Union and International Affairs of the Hungarian Ministry of National Development signed the accession agreement closing the inter-organisational negotiations that have been going on for several years.