5/6/2016 — AHF attends Friends of Hungary Conference, attends meeting with US Amb. Colleen Bell and submits letter: The Friends of Hungary Foundation held its third conference in Budapest on May 6 -8. Frank Koszorus, Jr., President of the American Hungarian Federation, attended the event along with Federation members and officers, Andras Ludanyi, Gyula Balogh, Zsuzsa Dreisziger, and Katalin Kadar Lynn.
Related
3/18/2016 — AHF and PAC address Bill Clinton’s Hungary remarks: The Presidents of the American Hungarian Federation and the Polish American Congress issue a joint statement objecting to the collective characterization by former President Bill Clinton of the Hungarian and Polish people as tired of democracy and desirous of “authoritarian dictatorship.” The politically neutral but principled statement, which cites the long struggle of Hungarians and Poles against Soviet tyranny to achieve the civic freedoms they enjoy today, can be viewed in its entirety [read more]
12/3/2015 – American Hungarian Federation has follow-up meeting with Ambassador Colleen Bell… During his stay in Budapest, Mr. Koszorus also met with United States Ambassador Colleen Bell. The purpose of the meeting wasto follow up on AHF’s November 4, 2015 letter to Ambassador Bell in which AHF suggested that U.S. interests – promotion of democracy and human rights, strategic and economic — may not always be served by public criticisms which are perceived by the man-on-the-street in Hungary, whether a supporter of the government or not, to be demeaning and humiliating. [read more]
Among other events, they participated in a meeting hosted by United States Ambassador to Hungary Colleen Bell for the American participants to the Foundation’s conference. Mr. Koszorus thanked Ambassador Bell for meeting with the participants and raised three issues:
1) considering that public criticism of Hungary tends to be counter-productive as it alienates the man on the street and undermines US strategic interest in Hungary, what other means can the US use to promote mutually beneficial goals, such as strengthening democracy and democratic institutions?
2) Considering the Hungarian Americans’ (including the Federation’s) in-depth knowledge of Hungary and their support of good bi-lateral relations, what can they do to help further the foregoing goals? And,
3) What progress has been made by Hungary relative to the military reforms that were raised when Mr. Koszorus was part of a fact-finding trip to NATO headquarters, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic sponsored by the US Departments of Defense and State to determine the readiness of the three aspirant NATO members to join the alliance?
Following the productive meeting at which the foregoing and other issues were openly and candidly discussed, the Federation sent a letter to Ambassador Bell seen below or for [download].
May 17, 2016
The Honorable Colleen Bell
United States Ambassador
Szabadság tér 12
H-1054 Budapest,
Hungary
Dear Madam Ambassador:
While I am only authorized to speak on behalf of the American Hungarian Federation, I am confident the other participants at the Friends of Hungary Foundation’s conference share my appreciation for your taking time from your busy schedule to meet with us last Monday to discuss the status of U.S./Hungarian relations.
We fully recognize that maintaining and strengthening good bi-lateral relations is not exclusively a function of U.S. policies but is a two-way street that must be vigorously pursued by both countries. As Americans, however, we have understandably focused on our government’s policies toward Hungary. We especially appreciate your professionalism and integrity in addressing that relationship as well as your willingness to engage in a candid dialogue about how best to promote mutual U.S./Hungarian strategic interests and democratic reforms and institutions.
Thank you again for meeting with us and considering our views, which we offer in a spirit of respect and constructive dialogue. We look forward to continue working with you in the interest of strengthening U.S./Hungarian relations and the foundations of those relations.
Sincerely,
Frank Koszorus, Jr.
National President Public Member of the U.S. Delegation of the 1989 Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe on the Human Dimension
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