Hungary will host a series of important events in June 2011.

As a part of the centennial commemorations, the Government of Hungary will unveil a statue of Ronald Reagan on Liberty Square, facing the U.S Embassy. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén intend to participate at the unveiling on June 29. Former Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice will also attend. The day before, June 28, 2011, a commemorative session of the Hungarian National Assembly will be organized in the Upper Chamber of the Parliament where the US Congressional delegation, headed by Rep. Kevin McCarthy, will be present to honor Reagan’s legacy. The same day, the Reagan Foundation will be hosting a gala dinner in the Parliament’s Hunter’s Hall, where Former Attorney General Edwin Meese will be the guest of honor.

The Tom Lantos Institute, set up in March 2011, will be inaugurated in Budapest on June 29. The mission of the Institute, bearing the name of the late Hungarian-American Congressman, is to support human and minority rights in Central Europe. President of the Republic Pál Schmitt will be present at the inauguration ceremony in the Parliament. In order to pay tribute to the values promoted by the Tom Lantos Institute, the First Annual Budapest Conference on Human Rights and Democracy will be organized on June 28. This new initiative will be a signature event, representing the Hungarian commitment towards the shared values within the trans-Atlantic community.

As a closing event, the Hungarian Government will host a special black tie dinner for all delegations in the Museum of Ethnography. The “Freedom Dinner” will pay tribute to the values represented by Ronald Reagan and Tom Lantos, and will highlight Hungary’s commitment to the ideals of freedom and liberty.

June is the last month of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The trans-Atlantic relationship has been a priority of the Hungarian Presidency, and remains a clear goal of Hungary as an active member of the European Union and a reliable partner to the United States. The Transatlantic Legislators Dialogue, held biannually with the participation of EU and US legislators, will be held in Budapest from June 30 to July 1. The American side will be represented by a Congressional Delegation headed by Rep. Cliff Stearns. This dialogue between members of Congress and Members of the European Parliament is the main forum for harmonizing the legislative issues on the trans-Atlantic agenda.