Blinken talks about deep friendship between the USA and Hungary on Hungary’s National Day

US State Secretary Anthony Blinken on Tuesday greeted Hungary, marking the country’s national holiday.

In a statement issued by the US Department of State, Blinken congratulated Hungarians “commemorating more than a millennium of your nation’s rich history”.

“On this day of celebration, it is my hope that we can work towards a closer relationship between the United States and Hungary, rooted in democratic values, shared security, and prosperity. That is what the deep friendship between our peoples, and the rich history between our nations deserves,” the statement said.

Noting that Hungary became a NATO member 25 years ago, Blinken said “Hungary was welcomed into NATO because of its commitment to a democratic future. That commitment, like the deep bonds between our people, should be protected and form the bedrock of Hungary-United States relations.”

Hundreds of thousands attend national holiday programmes in Budapest, says government spokesman

Several hundred thousand people attended programmes of the August 20 national holiday and watched the evening fireworks show in Budapest, State Secretary Zoltán Kovács, who heads the operative staff coordinating the events, said on Facebook on Wednesday.

Kovács noted that the evening show had been postponed by one hour due to the weather, and thanked spectators for their patience. He added that all programmes had been completed without major disturbances. He noted “the inconvenience and the delays caused by rain” but said that there had been no accidents during the programmes.

Until 11pm on Tuesday, the police had secured 324 programmes nationwide, Kovács said, and thanked the authorities and programme organisers for their efforts to make the events “safe and successful”.

Read also:

• HOTO GALLERY, VIDEO: Spectacular Budapest fireworks in photos 
• What are we celebrating? – A guide to Hungary’s national days – read our article HERE

Featured image: depositphotos.com