1956 Revolution: National flag raised in front of Parliament
The national flag was raised with military honours in front of Parliament on Wednesday in the presence of Speaker of Parliament László Kövér and defence minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, marking the 68th anniversary of the 1956 revolution and freedom fight.
Representatives of military and state organisations attended the ceremony, where the national anthem was played and Parliament was draped with flags with a hole in the middle, symbolising the October revolution that began with a peaceful demonstration and turned into an armed uprising against the Communist dictatorship of Matyas Rakosi and the Soviet occupation. Parliament declared October 23 an official national holiday in 1991, which was confirmed by the 2012 Fundamental Law.
Hungary-US relations focus of ceremony in Washington
American Hungarians “who enrich the cultural, economic and political fabric” of the United States are vital to fostering relations between the two countries, a government official said at the Hungarian Embassy in Washington, DC, at an event commemorating the 1956 uprising.
He said Hungary and the US worked closely “in handling global challenges, from security and defence cooperation, to innovation and trade; and we remain united in protecting democracy”, Tibor Toth, finance ministry state secretary for macroeconomic and international affairs, said. Hungary’s ambassador to the US, Szabolcs Takacs, called the struggle of October 1956 “a fight for freedom” as much as a revolution. “Hungarians are incapable of putting distance between them and 1956 as it is part of who we are,” he said. Hungary, he added, believed in strong alliances based on strong and sovereign nation states, and was interested “in a strong United States that contributes to global stability”.
Secretary of State of Indiana Diego Morales thanked Hungarians for investing in the mid-western federal state and contributing to it through their culture and customs, adding that further developing economic, cultural and scientific relations between Indiana and Hungary had been a priority of his since taking office last year. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State overseeing policy toward Russia and Central Europe, Sonata Coulter, and foreign diplomats working in Washington, as well as members of the Hungarian community there, also attended the event.
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