Hungary and Poland bound by true friendship

Hungary and Poland today continue to be bound by true friendship and both countries can count on each other’s unconditional support, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said at a celebration marking the 100th anniversary of Poland’s independence in Budapest on Tuesday.

At the event held at the Museum of Fine Arts, Hungarian Justice Minister László Trócsányi and Budapest Mayor István Tarlós were decorated with the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, Commander’s Cross.

Zsolt Németh, the head of parliament’s foreign affairs committee, was decorated with the Officer’s Cross and Richárd Horcsik, head of the European affairs committee, with the Knight’s Cross.

In his keynote address, Szijjártó said Hungarians and Poles were well aware of what it meant to fight for freedom and could therefore value it. “And we insist on it under all circumstances,” the minister said.

Szijjártó said his country was one that had to fight for its freedom many times throughout its history. Hungary appreciates and values freedom, “it’s a real nation of freedom fighters,” Szijjártó said. He added that the same was true about Poland.

Poland became independent 100 years ago and Hungarians were always there to do their part in Poland’s freedom fights, he said.

Both nations can now call themselves free, both countries are independent, but “the storms of history are still not quieting down, in fact the waves are reaching higher and higher”, Szijjártó said.