During a commemoration marking the anniversary of the post-WWI Trianon Peace Treaty, held at the Hungarian embassy in Washington on Tuesday, Boglárka Illés, state secretary at the foreign ministry, said it is not enough to remember the losses; one should also see the strength of the Hungarian nation.
Illés said “at least three generations have grown up ” since 1920, when the treaty concluded the world war, and “the strength of the Hungarian nation is manifested by the fact that despite all attempts by the great powers it has survived and demonstrates unity.”
The official noted that the US has the largest community of the Hungarian diaspora, adding that “Hungarian communities not only exist but they have created a Hungarian world of their own, too.”
Concerning her talks with US State Department officials, Illés told MTI that “a position supporting peace links Hungary and the US. “We appreciate endeavours by the US president and US administration to promote peace,” she said. During her talks, she said she had informed her partners about the Hungarian government’s child protection measures, family policy, and border control regime.
The state secretary also met Republican congressmen and visited the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.
She also met Stephen Schneider, international director of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and noted the Hungarian government’s policy of zero tolerance for anti-Semitism and support for Israel’s right to self-defense.
