Former Hungarian PM Presented Atlantic Council Freedom Award

(MTI) – Former prime minister of Hungary Miklos Nemeth was presented the Atlantic Council Freedom Award at the Wroclaw Global Forum, a security policy event, on Saturday.

The awards, established five years ago, on the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, “recognise extraordinary individuals and organizations that defend and advance the cause of freedom around the world”, according to the forum’s website.

Nemeth was prime minister of Hungary from 1988 to 1990.

“During his tenure, Nemeth took the controversial decision to allow East Germans to pass through Hungary en route to freedom in West Germany. This decision is widely credited with helping to bring about the fall of the Berlin Wall,” the forum’s organisers said.

Among the other recipients of this year’s Atlantic Council Freedom Award were Catherine Ashton, Vice President and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign and Security Policy; Toomas Hendrik Ilves, President of the Republic of Estonia; the Maidan protesters of Kiev; and the Polish American Freedom Foundation.

Photo: archiv.evangelikus.hu

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters