Foreign Minister Kinga Göncz’s welcome speech
at the opening of the 4th Conference of Hungarian Honorary Consuls
(Vajdahunyad Castle – May 25, 2008)
Esteemed Honorary Consular Board,
Invited lecturers, honoured sponsors, representatives of the press, foreign and Hungarian guests,
Allow me to warmly welcome all of you present on the occasion of this opening of the 4th conference of honorary consuls of the Republic of Hungary.
It gives me great pleasure to note that this major event of exceptional importance is again taking place in 2008 after its antecedents in 2003, 1999 and 1996. The current conference is justified alone by the continuous and welcome expansion since 1989 of the Hungarian honorary consular network, and by the fact that there are now more than 200 honorary consuls in service throughout the world.
Hungary is among the few countries in the world whose governments truly appreciate the work of honorary consuls, and which periodically organises conferences such as the current one, whose merits have been proven, not least by the results and developments over the years.
You are all leaders and operators of consular representations which form an important and integrated part of the foreign representation network of the Republic of Hungary, partly in co-operation with the embassies and Consulates General headquartered in Hungary, and partly working independently in countries where we currently have no official representational office or an accredited ambassador from another country.
Allow me to highlight your enduring roles in making an active contribution towards meeting the foreign-policy, foreign-economic, cultural- and civil-liaison goals of the Republic of Hungary while protecting the interests of its citizens abroad, and continuously expanding and developing its foreign relations. With this conference, I would like to express on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Hungary our acknowledgement and gratitude for your dedicated work, as well as making use of your invaluable experiences in contributing to even more effective co-operation in future.
This year’s conference will continue to uphold our noble traditions in offering an extremely rich professional programme: briefings will be given by Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány, by the leaders of the foreign ministry as well as by the heads of ministries which are most relevant for foreign policy, and representatives of industrial and professional groups and chambers of industry. The briefings will be on topics of current affairs which directly affect your work and to which the government has given especial attention.
The largest foreign policy task faced by the Government of the Republic of Hungary is the forthcoming European Union presidency in the first half of 2011 and its preparations, which require huge responsibility and convey a strenuous burden, while at the same time presenting an opportunity for our diplomatic branch to prove itself. The presidium has special tasks reserved for the consular body, which will have to be implemented in the course of local consular consultations and regular consultative meetings. Your expertise, opportunities and enthusiasm will be pivotal elements of effective work carried out by our consular body during those six months too.
One of the most noteworthy events of the recent past was Hungary’s joining the Schengen zone on December 21, 2007. This was a moment of great joy and success at the same time, but it also entails special tasks for the consular services. Our responsibilities have risen in collaboration with immigration authorities with regard to the visa issue as well as border patrol, as those entering Hungary may now freely travel on to the borderless countries of Europe.
I would personally highlight the relationship between activities of civil diplomacy and your honorary consular activities. The task of civil diplomacy is to inform people and invite them to join in on shaping foreign policy at the broadest possible level—to prove that diplomacy is not some kind of “mystic” bureaucratic endeavour impenetrable for ordinary people, but rather an interest negotiating and interest-protecting activity available to everyone, in which anyone can participate using its very noble means and missions.
It is important to build, nurture and develop relations with foreign countries on the level of the individual, not only at meetings of presidents, prime ministers, ministers or other high state officials.
This is where your participation comes into play in an outstanding way: you are the ones who by straddling officialdom and civilian life can provide the link between “official” and “everyday” diplomacy. Your carefully built-up local networks make it possible for official diplomats to find opportunities to bring Hungary and its foreign policy closer to the people residing in their consular districts, and to civil groups operating therein.
I should like to take this opportunity to thank the honorary consular body operating in Hungary and its members present here. I assure you that we shall provide every degree of support in the spirit of the above in the future, and that the foreign ministry will continue to give especial attention to your multi-faceted networking and co-operation building activities.
At the same time, let me extend my heartfelt gratitude to all institutions, companies and persons, who have given support to and sponsored the organisation of this conference under such propitious and honourable circumstances!
Dear Honorary Consuls,
I know that today you have already participated in a successful and fun-filled excursion to Lake Balaton, which is one of our most important tourism targets. During this trip you became acquainted with the development plans of the region and such main landmarks as the Tihany abbey, Siofok’s golden beach and Balatonfured’s old town. The visit to Tihany Abbey and the organ concert there gave you a great glimpse of our historic and cultural heritage.
And tonight, here, the proximity of Budapest’s landmark sights—Heroes’ Square, Szechenyi baths, the City Park and Vajdahunyad Castle—provides the setting for this reception and opening ceremony.
I trust that the busy events of the next two days will offer you a friendly and constructive ambiance and that this year’s conference will further strengthen ties between yourselves as well as ties with the government and the foreign ministry.
Before giving you over to some famous masterpieces of Hungarian gastronomy, I would like to present the memorial plaque “Pro Auxilio Civium Hungarorum” to those honorary consuls present at our conference who have successfully served the interests of Hungarian citizens for ten years or more, and whose work the foreign ministry would like to recognise.
I wish all of our guests: pleasant and fruitful participation!