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Pelosi Leads Congressional Delegation to Hungary

May 14, 2012

Contact: Nadeam Elshami/Drew Hammill, 202-226-7616

Budapest - To mark the 90th anniversary of U.S.-Hungarian diplomatic relations, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi led a bipartisan Delegation to Hungary on Monday to meeting with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Speaker of the National Assembly László Kövér. The delegation also met with civil society leaders about recent changes to Hungary’s system of checks and balances and their impact on democratic institutions.

In addition to her meeting with Prime Minister Orbán, Leader Pelosi also participated in a press availability with Assembly Speaker László Kövér in which they exchanged gifts of friendship to mark the anniversary of U.S.-Hungarian relations. Below is a transcript of the remarks made at the photo opportunity and photos from these meetings.

In addition to Leader Pelosi, the Members of the bipartisan Delegation are:

  • Congresswoman Jean Schmidt (R-OH)
  • Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA)
  • Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)
  • Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL)

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Pelosi and Members of the Delegation met today with Viktor Orbán

Pelosi and Members of the Delegation met today with Viktor Orbán, Prime Minister of Hungary, in Budapest.

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Pelosi presents Speaker of the National Assembly László Kövér with a treaty of friendship

Pelosi presents Speaker of the National Assembly László Kövér with a treaty of friendship, signed by President Warren Harding, marking the U.S.—Hungary relationship at their meeting in Budapest.

Photo Credits: U.S. Embassy Budapest

Transcript of Remarks at Photo Opportunity with Leader Pelosi and Speaker László Kövér

Leader Pelosi
. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor, on behalf of [my] colleagues, Congresswoman [Carolyn] Maloney, Congresswoman [Jean] Schmidt, Congresswoman [Terri] Sewell, and Congresswoman [Anna] Eshoo, and of course our Ambassador Tsakopoulos –Kounalakis, to present to you something very special to us. This is a copy, which my staff researched...this is a treaty signed by President Warren Harding establishing the U.S-Hungary relationship and it’s 90-years-old. Our 90th anniversary of the U.S. –Hungary relationship, and it is my honored privilege to present your parliament with this copy. It’s actually a treaty.

Speaker Kövér (Translated). Madam Speaker, thank you very much for your gift, and I would also like to express my appreciation that you would visit Hungary on the occasion of this very special anniversary. And please allow me to reciprocate your kindness. I would like to hand over a copy to you of a treaty that was concluded by independent Hungary with the United States, which the Hungarian National Assembly reported in a bilingual agreement. And, which is a treaty of friendship, honor, and consular cooperation. And it was signed on the 24th of June in 1925 in Washington.

Leader Pelosi. Thank you, thank you so much.

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