According to itthon.ma news webportal, László Tőkés, the member of the European Parliament (MEP) and the president of the Hungarian National Council of Transylvania travelled to Washington DC by the invitation of the Hungarian American Coalition (HAC) last week. He took part in the Gala Dinner of the 10th Anniversary of the HAC on Thursday evening. During the Gala Dinner he received the honour for defending human rights and collective rights of the Hungarians living in the Carpathian Basin.
Moreover, Tom Lantos, the former President of the U.S. House of Representative Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Hungarian Communion of Friends were also awarded by the HAC.
During his stay in the U.S. capital László Tőkés participated in several important meetings such as visiting György Szapary, the Hungarian Ambassador. On Friday Tőkés had a meeting with Jim McGovern Democratic and Frank Wolf Republican delegates. Moreover, he also had an appointment with Rosa DeLauro Democratic delegate who was the former colleague of Christopher Dodd Senator.
According to itthon.ma, Frank Wolf recalled his memories of the uprising in Romania in 1989 by his Romanian flag with a hole in it and he also reminded everybody of the fact that even the U.S. Congress fought against the dictatorship of Ceausescu. Among others, the Congress had deprived Romania’s MFN (Most Favoured Nations) status.
The Hungarian politician had talks with Lee Edwards, the President of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation of Washington DC and László Tőkés congratulated him for the 20th anniversary of the foundation.
Furthermore, László Tőkés also met Andrew P. Haris and David Joice, the colleagues of the Co-Chair of the Hungarian American Congress. They wrote a letter to John Kerry, Minister of Foreign Affairs in which they asked him to take steps towards making the Romanian Government give entirely back the confiscated properties of the Hungarian Church during the events in 1945. They also emphasized in their letter that a kind of intervention would be needed at governmental level to stop the withdrawal steps of the Romanian President and the Government for the Star of Romania Order of Merit from Mr. Tőkés.
Mr. Tőkés was accompanied by Mr. László Hámos, the President of the Hungarian Human Rights Committee together with Mr. Ferenc Koszorús, the President of the Hungarian American Coalition. The leader of the latter organization was awarded with the Báthory prize by Mr. Tőkés. The decision about the Báthory prize was made by the Hungarian National Council of Transylvania two years ago.
Several other problematic issues have been raised during the talks such as the restitution of the church, obstacles of the Hungarian department of the University in Marosvásárhely and the harassment of supporters of the Transylvanian Hungarian Party.
based on article of itthon.ma
by Valentina Leanyfalvi
Photo: itthon.ma
Source: http://itthon.ma/
