Fighting corruption is notoriously difficult, it requires a long term commitment, and success is often hard to measure.  Events like these raise awareness to the importance of combatting corruption, and the studies that you conduct teach us how we can better direct our efforts.

Hungarian Gripens, Czech Gripens, Slovenian PC-9s, Slovakian MiG 29s, and a United States  KC-135 and C-130, as well as tactical ground controllers from all five nations, are conducting the largest and most complicated air integration mission in the region since the end of the Balkan operations.

– as prepared – Good afternoon and welcome, everyone.  It is a tremendous honor for me to host you in this celebration of America’s 240th anniversary of our independence.  Welcome, Minister Pinter, President Darak, and Prosecutor Polt, Justice Stumpf.  Thank you State Secretary Vargha for coming and I look forward to your remarks.  Welcome, distinguished …

Thank you, Lieutenant Colonel Gősi, for your kind introduction. Minister Pintér, Ambassadors, Colonel Farkas, Director Terpinas, honored guests, and most of all, ILEA Session 103 Graduates, I am so pleased to be here to celebrate your accomplishments. From the perspective of the United States Government, and specifically from the U.S. State Department, I can’t emphasize enough …

Good evening and welcome to the Women Start-Up Competition.  I would like to thank the organizers of this event, GF Social Media, for inviting me to participate.  I am delighted to sit with such a distinguished group of jurors from the technology and investment communities.  I am sure we will learn here tonight about innovative …

President Shattuck, Professor Balazs, fellow diplomats, distinguished guests, thank you.  I’m happy to be here as part of your important lecture series.  It’s always a pleasure to be in the lively community of CEU.  Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you. I know very well the role that CEU plays in providing a …

Professor Bodis, Mr. Giran, Ms. Bartos, Ambassador Helfand, Professor Fischer, Dr. Taróssy, Dr. Brückner, Ladies and Gentlemen, Jó napot!  Good morning!   I am delighted to be here with you today to celebrate this special occasion — the 11th Biennial Conference of the Hungarian Association for American Studies in association with the Hungarian Association for Ibero-American …

Chairman Nemeth, Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, distinguished guests, thank you for asking me to speak to you.  It is an honor.  Our custom of talking together today is as old as our friendship as nations.  I look forward to a frank and friendly discussion with you and the distinguished members of this Committee. …

Good Morning!  I am very pleased to have the opportunity to visit Balaton-felvidéki National Park to help celebrate Earth Day this week. I would like to thank Director Puskás, and his colleagues at the National Park Directorate for welcoming us and organizing a great visit for me and the U.S. delegation.  We are excited to …

State Secretary Laszlo Palkovics, esteemed members of the panel, ladies and gentleman, Good afternoon! It is my great pleasure to join you here to observe International Roma Day.  Since 1990, this day has been set aside as an opportunity to celebrate Romani culture and raise awareness of the issues and daily challenges facing the largest …

Thank you to Mr. Bolek and the Hungarian Islamic Community for hosting today’s celebration.  Mr. Bolek, distinguished guests, Assalamu alaykum  [“Peace be with you” in Arabic; standard Muslim greeting worldwide]. We celebrate today a century of Islam’s legal recognized existence in Hungary, though the actual existence of Islam in the territory of Hungary dates back …

Mayor Péter Fenyves, Member of Parliament Gábor Törő, Ambassador András Dékány of the Ministry of Human Capacities, Principal Krisztina Birkás, Teachers and Staff, Students, Jó napot kívánok!  Good morning!   Thank you very much for the invitation to join you today and for the very warm welcome to Mór! Since 2008, the Ministry of Human Capacities …

Ambassador Shakir Fakili, President Gabor Komlosi, Honorary President Eva Keleti, Vice President Maria Gonczi, Vice President Janos Harshegyi, Mr. Andras Trom, dear awardees, members of MUOSZ, ladies and gentlemen: It is a great honor to be here today, and to join you as you present the Golden Pen awards to some of the many courageous …

Thank you, Madame Chairwoman, Model UN delegates, and distinguished guests.  It is an honor to be here and I am delighted to speak with you today.  I’d like to welcome the delegates from the United States, and also from Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Serbia, and Germany. Congratulations to Karinthy High School for hosting such an excellent …

Minister Pintér, Rector Pátyi, President Shank, Ambassador Szemerkényi, Ladies and Gentlemen, Good morning!  Jó reggelt kívánok!  Thank you very much for the invitation to join you today and participate in this morning’s ceremony!  I am honored to witness the signing of the memorandum of understanding between Marymount University and the National University of Public Service.  …

Hello everyone.  I’m Colleen Bell, United States Ambassador to Hungary.  I would like to welcome you and thank you for coming.  I am so pleased you could join us tonight to watch this important and powerful film — Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom. This film screening is a highlight of the work of …

Jó estét kívánok!  Good evening everyone! I am pleased to join you tonight and to introduce the film you are about to see — Hot Men, Cold Dictatorships — which we are screening in honor of LGBT History Month.  I congratulate the Háttér Society and their partners for organizing such a varied and interesting series …

If we speak the language of your original profession, that is, being a producer, how would you summarize the first season of your time as Ambassador for those who will also be following the second season? Every good television series has exciting and quiet parts, tense and peaceful moments. I’ve had all those in my first …

I would like to welcome each of you equally as guests, faith leaders, and friends, to my home. As you may know, there is a tradition in the United States of the President meeting with religious leaders on the first Thursday of every February.  This has happened every year since 1953.  It is such an …

Distinguished guests, Mayor Borbely , Deputy State Secretaries Langerne and Latorcai, esteemed diplomatic colleagues, and friends, welcome, and thank you for joining me this afternoon to pay tribute to the victims and the legacy of the Parrajmos.  And to Istvan Makai and the Roma Civic Association, thank you for inviting me to participate in this …

Good afternoon, everybody! Thank you, Dr. Aáry-Tamás and Professor Szuromi for your excellent welcome remarks and words of inspiration to start this year’s RETURN conference.  I would also like to thank Ms. Smith Lacey – Anna — for moderating today’s event.  It is my great pleasure to be here again, and I thank the U.S. …

Thank you, Jozsef and Transparency International, for inviting me to speak at this important event.  I commend you and your colleagues on your tireless work to promote transparency, accountability, and good governance.  Your efforts make a difference in Hungary and around the world. It was on this day in 2003, in Merida, Mexico, that the …

Thank you, Mr. Siklosi, General Orosz, General Vollmecke, General Safar, and Colonel Gangler, and men and women of Papa Air Base and the 74th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron. I’m honored to be here at Papa today to celebrate the growing cooperation between NATO Allies.  Even before 1999, when Hungary and the U.S. became Allies, our two …

From rising seas across the globe and the melting of Greenland’s sheet ice to the bleaching of coral reefs around many coasts, the signs of climate change are all around us.  As a global society, we are at a critical juncture where our decisions today will help shape the climate our children and children’s children …

Thank you very much Vice Rector Görög for the kind introduction and to Corvinus University, the organizer and host of this event.  And to my diplomatic corps colleagues; representatives of the Government of Hungary; Corvinus administrators, academics, and students; business leaders; friends from the American Corner; ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming.  I …

– as delivered – Jó napot kívánok! Good Morning! I am delighted to be here and I would like to give thanks, a very special thank you to Minister Fazekas for the invitation to join you all here today. I would also like to congratulate the organizers of this wonderful event, which helps maintain cultural …

This exercise is a great example of multilateral cooperation that ensures our nations’ militaries are better able to operate together as NATO Allies.  Interoperability is vital to our success.   Our militaries have been learning, training, and fighting together as NATO allies for more than 15 years.  The NATO alliance is an enduring commitment – not …

Jó napot kivánok/Good afternoon. To start, I want to thank the Hungarian Association of Women Judges for hosting this event today and providing a forum for today’s presentation by the visiting speaker for the U.S. Department of State, Lieutenant Scott Jenkins, a retired U.S. police officer and expert in the prevention and prosecution of domestic …

(as prepared) Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.  Rector Patyi, Professor Vizi, Minister Simicsko, dear colleagues, students and friends.  It is my great pleasure to be here with you today, and to address this conference on the significance of “transatlantic thought”. It is also a great pleasure to share this panel with Minister Simicsko, and, through …

Good afternoon, It was a great pleasure to experience this wonderful program by the Rolling Chairs dance troupe.  Many thanks to Ms. Rita Sárai and the entire company for such a beautiful performance!  I am so glad that so many honored guests could join us today for this presentation, including Mr. Pál Szekeres, Mayor Ferenc …

Thank you.  Good evening, everyone.  I would like to thank the organizers at the Antall Jozsef Knowledge Center for the invitation to speak with you tonight.  It is my great pleasure to be here, addressing many of Hungary’s brightest young leaders.  While this is my first opportunity to speak with many of you, it is …

When you accepted President Obama’s nomination as United States ambassador to Hungary, were you expecting to land in such a turbulent scene? When I received the call from the White House that I had been nominated to serve as U.S. ambassador, I was extremely excited by the opportunity. I had travelled to Hungary before, and …

Thank you Dr. Nemescsói, for your kind introduction, and thank you Ferenc for the invitation to speak at this event.  I am also delighted to share the stage with Minister of Justice Trócsányi.  Minister Trócsányi, panelists, and American Chamber of Commerce members, good morning.  AmCham’s efforts have been an essential component to the growth of …

Ladies and Gentlemen, On behalf of the United States Government, I am very pleased to welcome you to the International Law Enforcement Academy in Budapest.  The mission of ILEA is to support the region’s emerging democracies through international cooperation to combat crime and to promote social, political and economic stability. To achieve these goals, ILEA …

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your invitation and your warm welcome.  It is a great honor to be here with you today, and to be celebrating Women’s Equality Day with you. Since it was first celebrated in 1972, Women’s Equality Day celebrates the date, ninety five years ago today, when the 19th Amendment to …

Jó napot kívánok!  Thank you very much, Deputy State Secretary Krisztina Berta, for your kind invitation to join this event.  I would also like to thank the media representatives for attending today.  Your reporting greatly helps us raise public awareness.  And raising awareness – as Ms. Berta already made clear – is critical in preventing …

Law Enforcement Leadership Development Session 100 Thank you, Lieutenant Colonel Gősi, for your kind introduction. Minister Pintér, Ambassador Brownfield, Ambassador Esmerov, Ambassador Benisheva, Colonel Farkas,  Mr. Barnett, Director Terpinas, honored guests, and most of all, ILEA Session 100 Graduates, I am so pleased to be here to celebrate your accomplishments. From the perspective of the …

Good evening. Minister Pintér, Ambassadors, distinguished guests, ILEA Directors and staff and ILEA Session 100 graduates; I am so pleased to be here with you tonight to celebrate both the ILEA 20 year anniversary and the graduation of ILEA Session 100. It was an honor to be with Session 100 this afternoon as they became …

The beautiful city of Szeged has welcomed me today, and shown me its extraordinary culture, its vibrant business community, its historic synagogue, and its marvelous university.  I have also met some of Szeged’s people, who are extremely hospitable — I thank you all for your generosity in welcoming me to your city, and inviting me …

Good morning everyone and thank you for coming. I am pleased to be here with such distinguished guests for what promises to be a vibrant discussion on Ukraine and the ramifications of the crisis – for Ukrainians, and for all of us. Before we get started, I wanted to thank everyone who made this event …

Hello everyone.   I’m pleased to be here with this impressive group of business leaders, academics, government officials, and community organizers – each of you dedicated to enhancing and expanding relations between Hungary and the United States. First of all, Chris: thank you for the invitation to be here today.  Your work and the work of …

I’d like to begin by thanking Rector Shattuck and Anna-Mária Biró for organizing this event and the conference last year, and to thank Dr. Pető and Prof. Thorson for editing and bringing this book into being, and to all of you for keeping this important issue of Holocaust Memorialization alive and open for discussion. Keeping …

Hello everybody, good afternoon.  I am so delighted to be here at the end-of-semester ceremony – I certainly feel and share all of your excitement today, you should feel so proud of what you have accomplished.  First of all, I extend my sincere thanks to Mr. Bojár for his invitation to visit Graphisoft Park and …

Dennis, Chris, Thunderbird Alumni, ladies and gentlemen. Good morning. It is a great pleasure to kick off this European Reunion of Thunderbird Alumni . When your fellow alumnus Edward invited me to address your group, I was very pleased. During my business career, I developed relationships with partners from many countries. And along the way, I met …

Good evening.  I’m so happy to participate in another Fulbright event – this time to bid farewell to the American Fulbright grantees who are completing their year in Hungary and to celebrate their marvelous academic achievements.  This event is also an occasion to extend best wishes to the departing Hungarian grantees whose Fulbright experience is about …

Good morning, everyone.  I’m so delighted to be here, and thank you, Mr. Csaba (Chairman of the Board of AFS Hungary), for your kind invitation.  Let me first congratulate all of you on the centennial anniversary of your organization, American Field Service , and on the 25th anniversary of your chapter in Hungary.  You have a history to …

The development of the Hungarian Special Forces has been remarkable. Hungary started with no Special Forces in 2005, and by 2013 was able to provide command and control for special operations from 5 different nations – including the U.S. – who were conducting important operations across 4 regions within Afghanistan. Hungarian Special Forces have served …

I want to begin by thanking Erika Sólyom, our capable coordinator here at the American Corner Budapest , as well as Corvinus University, for agreeing to host today’s meeting. Thanks also to Timea Tiboldi, for spending much of the past nine months helping to develop this course, and for now facilitating your class over the next 10 weeks. …

Good morning.  I am excited to be with you this morning.  I would like to thank Gergő Lencsés, the General Manager, and his team at this GE facility for hosting us today.  I am proud of the fact that GE is one of eight U.S. companies in Hungary hosting 400 young women today during the …

Mr. Mayor, Dr. Matei, ladies and gentlemen: It is a pleasure to be here today to plant this Magnolia tree with the Mayor of the Fifth District and the Provost and Pro-Rector of Central European University to mark the 45th anniversary of Earth Day.  The Embassy has been a part of the Fifth District community …

Thank you very much, Aftab.  Good morning, everyone, and thank you for the opportunity to speak with you.  When I heard about this event, I jumped at the chance to talk to a group very important to me both personally and professionally – namely all the women leaders here today. It’s an honor to be …

Good evening!  I am so pleased to be here tonight and to welcome our distinguished guests – Nicole Taylor and Daniel Ernst.  Ms. Taylor has established herself in the United States and internationally as an artist of extraordinary talent, with an extensive repertoire covering a vast variety of styles and genres.   Her accompanist, Mr. Ernst, …

Good morning.  First of all, I would like to thank Mr. András F. Tóth for the opportunity to say a few words at the opening of this conference. I am particularly pleased to be here because volunteering and civic engagement have always been and still are a cornerstone of our nation.  Americans strongly believe that …

Hello everyone, and welcome.  I’m pleased you could join me for lunch.  Chargé Yunger, my personal welcome to you, and my thanks for coming today.  It is my first opportunity to meet you, and it is a privilege to host you and your colleague.  And a warm welcome and thank you to all of my …

Madam Ambassador, Minister Martonyi, Mr. Pongrácz, Ms. Lippai-Nagy, Mr. Benkő, ladies and gentlemen.  Good Afternoon. It is a great pleasure for me to attend this, my first AmCham Hungary event, made even more pleasant by the participation of my friend, Ambassador Szemerkényi.  I understand it is quite rare to have both the U.S. Ambassador to Hungary and …

Good afternoon.  Thank you, Minister Balog, for your kind welcome and hospitality today.  It is my pleasure to be here – in such a beautiful setting – to sign this bilateral agreement to harmonize our social security systems.   In addition, I would like to thank the members of the Hungarian government who worked so hard …

Fellow ambassadors, Mayor Tóth, members of the Lantos family, ladies and gentlemen – good morning. It is a privilege to be here with you as we commemorate the birthday of Hungarian-American Congressman Tom Lantos.  In his honor, we are gathered to name this street for him – a small change on the map, perhaps, but …

Minister Szijjártó, Dr. Forgó, Mr. Randall, Mayor Cser-Palkovics, distinguished guests. It is a real pleasure for me to be here to inaugurate the expansion of the Hungarian facility of one of America’s most storied companies: Alcoa.  It’s astounding to think that this company has been producing high-quality aluminum and light metal products for 125 years!  …

Thank you, Under Secretary Kennedy, for presiding today, for your support and for your kind words.  I appreciate your taking the time to be here with my family, friends and colleagues. It’s obvious why you command such respect in this building and around the world, from both Foreign Service Officers like yourself and political appointees …