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President Novák: Hungarian nation “together in spirit” – UPDATED

Hungarian President Novák in Australia

Although fragmented in various communities, the Hungarian nation is “together in spirit” to the present day, President Katalin Novák said at the consecration of the new Hungarian Reformed church in Marsden, Australia, on Sunday.

Novák acknowledged members of the local Hungarian community for fostering and enriching their Hungarian identity and Hungarian language, and for passing on that identity to their children in their church, communities and families.

The Hungarian community has held together to show, in Australia, too, that there is not only a Hungarian present, but a Hungarian future, she said.

While churches are being repurposed or demolished in Western Europe, some 3,200 churches have been renovated and 200 built in areas in which Hungarians live, she added.

Novák said Hungarians were bound together by their Hungarian identity, the Hungarian language and their shared Christian faith.

Bishop Zoltán Balog of the Reformed Church in Hungary, who delivered the sermon at the service on Sunday, said the new church was “built with the sacrifice of local Hungarians”, adding that they had financed 80 percent of the investment cost.

Novák also participated at the inauguration of the renovated Hungarian House in Marsden.

HERE is an article about Novák’s trashed interview with Politico. HERE is our article about the president’s visit in Papua New Guinea.

Novak in Australia: Families ‘crucial for renewal’- UPDATE

“Families are of paramount importance in terms of renewal and survival,” President Katalin Novák said at a service held marking Reformation Day in Sydney on Tuesday. “It is children that make us continuously renew ourselves and it is they who renew families, thus making the family a basis for survival and renewal,” the president said. “Families are considered in Hungary as of eternal value,” Novák said, adding that “all Hungarian children, no matter where in the world they may be born, are recognised [as Hungarian].”

Referring to Hungary’s system of granting preferential citizenship to ethnic kin, Novák said the number of “Hungarians enjoying their Hungarian citizenship once more” has now reached 1.1 million.

Concerning Reformation Day, the president said Christians and specifically Christian decision-makers had a duty to recognise and distinguish “that which is of eternal value and that which can be and should be renewed”.

Hungarians consider their nation, language, faith, national, linguistic, faith and gender as of eternal value, she said. These cannot be chosen or replaced, she said, adding that though Hungarians renew themselves, they remain who they are.

Novák noted that alongside, her official meetings in Australia, she had also met with local Hungarians, marked the anniversary of the 1956 anti-communist uprising in Melbourne and inaugurated a church and a community centre in Marsden. She is scheduled to meet with diaspora Hungarians in Sydney as well.

 

Mysterious: Orbán told NATO, EU he COULD NOT EVADE a meeting with Putin

orbán and putin in beijing china propaganda

PM Viktor Orbán met with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin last week in Beijing. A Hungarian news outlet said he informed the Western allies about the meeting with the Russian president. He added Putin initiated the talk, and he could not evade it.

According to hvg.hu, Orbán informed NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, via phone about his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said it was not his idea to meet with Putin, but he could not evade it.

Bertalan Havasi, Orbán’s press chief, said such coordinations are routinely happening before international meetings since Hungary is a member of NATO and the EU.

According to telex.hu, “Europe’s last dictator”, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, invited Orbán to an official visit. Putin’s closest ally passed the invitation to Hungarian FM Péter Szijjártó, who was in Minsk on a two-day international conference. Based on the information of the Hungarian news outlet, the Belarus president said the Hungarian-Belarusian trade relationship is in bad condition and provided the Hungarian government wanted to help Hungarians work and invest in the country, the Belarusian government is open for creating the best circumstances for that.

Read HERE and HERE what the wealthiest Hungarian said about a possible Huxit, while in THIS article, you may read about Orbán’s opinion about Ukraine’s chances against Russia.

Chinese ambassador: Orban’s visit to China success

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s visit to China last week was successful and fruitful, reflecting increased mutual political trust between the sides, Chinese Ambassador to Hungary Gong Tao said on Friday. He told a press conference that thanks to the visit, bilateral cooperation strengthened under the arrangements of the Belt and Road Initiative and also Hungary’s eastern opening strategy. Cooperation between the sides is an example for a new type of international cooperation and a strategic partnership has developed between Hungary and China, he added.

He noted that the Hungarian delegation signed cooperation agreements with the Chinese government in ten areas. Events planned to mark the approaching 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Hungary will help further intensify cooperation, he added.

President: Papua New Guinean students to come to Hungarian universities

President Novák Papua New Guinea students Hungarian universities (Copy)

Education may be the cornerstone of ties between Papua New Guinea and Hungary, President Katalin Novák said on Wednesday at the start of a state visit to Papua New Guinea, unveiling 50 higher education scholarships for local students wishing to study in Hungary.

She noted that hers was the first visit to Papua New Guinea by a Hungarian president and that diplomatic ties were established almost 40 years ago. Novák said her visit also provided an opportunity to commemorate Maria Molnar, a “brave Hungarian Christian woman” who lived in Papua New Guinea around 100 years ago. The president noted that in the second half of 2024, Hungary will hold the Council of the European Union (EU) rotating presidency, and this may further ties between Papua New Guinea, Hungary and the EU.

She also noted that Hungary was never a coloniser. “We learned that we must respect others and can always learn from others. We Hungarians are a respectful nation; relations between Papua New Guinea and Hungary must be based on mutual respect,” she said. “Hungary has neither high mountains, access to the sea, nor natural resources, and we’re not especially rich . and our population is not growing but shrinking. Though the peoples, culture, history, and geographical situation of Papua New Guinea and Hungary are quite different, we have Christianity in common,” Novák said.

President Novák: strengthening economic ties

The president discussed strengthening economic ties and environmental protection with Soroi Eoe, who acts as the country’s Governor General, and she will meet the prime minister on Friday. Zsolt Csenger-Zalán, Hungary’s ambassador to Canberra, told the public media that the value of Oceania was growing in today’s geopolitical circumstances, and he noted how the region’s raw materials were something that Hungarian businesses and investors could make good use of.

The scholarships offered by the president may lay the foundation for the presence of Hungarian companies in the region, he added. President Novák was received with the highest military honours, followed by a dinner in the parliament given in her honour. Here is a video of her official visit:

President in Melbourne: Hungarian is the language of freedom – PHOTOS

23 October celebration in Australia with the Hungarian President (Copy)

“Hungarian is the language of freedom,” President Katalin Novák told a commemoration of Hungary’s 1956 anti-Soviet revolt organised by the Hungarian community of Melbourne on Sunday.

Marking the anniversary of the failed revolution on its eve, the president said “October 23 is the greatest holiday of the [Hungarian] diaspora, a day to celebrate and also to mourn.” “We celebrate our national identity, a love of freedom, Hungarians’ inevitable unity beyond borders . and we mourn for those that sacrificed their blood and life for freedom, mourn the physical distance between us . families torn apart and unwelcome emigration,” Novák said in her address.

Freedom, the president suggested, “must be fought for day by day”. “It is our duty to work for what the heroes of 1956 fought for: a free and strong Hungarian nation,” she said.

Novák noted that during her Australian visit she had first visited the Hungarian community, adding that during her term she would visit all large communities of the Hungarian diaspora. She also added that she was scheduled to inaugurate a church and community centre in Brisbane in a few days.

Concerning the Hungarian language, Novák said “those that know the essence of Hungarian will never give in to oppressive dictatorships”. “Hungary has never been a hotbed for dictatorship, it is a country where totalitarian regimes have never been able to solidify”.

Referring to the wars in Ukraine and in the Middle East, Novák said Hungary condemned the attacks by Russia and the Hamas organisation and was working to avoid escalation. “We stand by the innocent victims and peace because Hungarians want peace,” she added.

After the commemoration, Novák recognised Marcella Paska, folk dance instructor and head of the Hungarian Television of Melbourne, with the Bronze Cross of Merit of Hungary for her support to the Hungarian communities and Hungarian culture in the State of Victoria.

We wrote HERE that Putin’s new History textbook says it was a mistake to leave Hungary and Central Europe in 1991. In THIS article, we wrote about the Russian state media writing that in 1956, Western powers organized the anti-Soviet revolution in Hungary.

Do you want to meet PM Orbán? Here is your chance but it will be expensive

Viktor Orbán China

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will deliver a “comprehensive political address” at an anniversary celebration of Switzerland’s conservative weekly Weltwoche in Zurich on November 22, the PM’s press chief confirmed on Saturday.

The celebration will include a panel discussion moderated by Swiss MP Roger Köppel, the weekly’s editor-in-chief. The event is advertised in a full-page ad in the weekly. The number of seats is limited in the five-star Dolder Grand luxury palace hotel, and the entrance ticket costs 90 Swiss francs (HUF 36 thousand), rtl.hu wrote. Köppel is a big supporter and fan of the Hungarian prime minister. They made several interviews with Orbán in the last few years. They meet regularly. The last time they met was in March when Köppel visited an event of the government-close MCC research institute.

The Swiss journalist later visited Moscow, where he talked about the high life standard of the Russian people there and that the sanctions are useless. In November, he will come to Budapest to take part in the CPAC International Conservative Conference. Here is a photo of the Dolder Grand hotel:

Culture minister marks 1956 anniversary in the USA

János Csák, Hungary’s minister of culture and innovation, attended a commemoration of the anniversary of Hungary’s anti-Soviet revolt of 1956, in Washington late on Friday. In his address, Csak said the failed revolution was a historic development “that serves as a basis for cooperation between the US and Hungary”. The events of 1956 “lend two such freedom-loving peoples enough ammunition for cooperation” especially with regard to “Russia’s attack on Ukraine and the terrorist attack against Israel”.

In an interview to MTI, the minister said Hungary had a great interest in achieving peace in both conflicts. Hungary has sympathy for both countries, he said, noting Ukraine’s ethnic Hungarian community of 150,000, and some 300,000 Israelis of Hungarian origin. At the ceremony, Csak recognised Peter Gajary, head of the Hungarian-American Cultural Association with the Order of Merit of Hungary, Knight’s Cross. The celebration was attended by Szabolcs Takacs, Hungary’s ambassador to the US, a representative of the US foreign ministry, diplomats, and leaders of local Hungarian organisations.

Hungary continues to be a good friend of China, says PM Orbán in Beijing

china hungary

Hungary continues to be a good friend of China in central Europe with Budapest pinning high hopes on cooperation, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said after his talks with Li Qiang, his Chinese counterpart, in Beijing on Monday.

The two countries will this year mark the 75th anniversary of establishing bilateral ties, he told reporters, adding that successful cooperation and “a personal friendship” had been built with China’s former premiers as well.

Orbán cited “a deeper, cultural root” of the “political friendship” between the two countries, noting that Hungary had been the first country in the former Soviet bloc to recognise China and the only country in central Europe that had consistently supported the One China principle.

Orbán said that he, as the leader of the Hungarian opposition at the time, had held his first meeting with Xi Jinping in 2009 when Xi was China‘s vice president. Talks with Xi, now China’s president, will be held on Tuesday, said Orbán, adding that it is going to be their seventh meeting, which “illustrates well the friendship between the two peoples”. “I will do my outmost to pursue a foreign policy towards China that follows duly in the footsteps of our predecessors.”

Premier Li Qiang said the two countries had a close friendship which had helped develop their bilateral ties at the highest level. Chinese-Hungarian ties are in their best period yet, he added.

After the talks, intergovernmental agreements were signed on bilateral projects implemented in the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, on cooperation in the areas of education, industry and investment, and on technological development, digital economy and climate protection.

Orbán will participate in the third Belt and Road Forum on Tuesday and Wednesday.

China is Hungary’s ninth top trading partner as well as its largest foreign direct investor, with companies of Chinese ownership employing close to 20,000 people in the country.

As we wrote yesterday, PM Orbán welcomed in Beijing with military honors – PHOTOS

PHOTOS: PM Orbán welcomed in Beijing with military honors

PM Viktor Orbán in China Beijing

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, in Beijing on Sunday taking part in the third Belt and Road summit, held talks with Chinese leaders, the PM’s press chief said in a statement.

Orbán also previously addressed two such summits held in 2017 and 2019, the statement noted, adding that Hungary is committed to long-term cooperation in the future.

China is Hungary’s ninth top trading partner as well as its largest foreign direct investor, with companies of Chinese ownership employing close to 20,000 people in the country.

Orbán met counterpart Li Qiang and President Xi Jinping, and he is scheduled to meet the heads of the largest Chinese companies and banks, the statement added.

We wrote HERE that the Chinese megaproject of updating the Belgrade-Budapest international railway is in big trouble and Orbán would like to discuss its continuation with Xi Jinping during his visit. And HERE is another one about why Chinese battery plants may never start operation.

Here are some more photos shared by FM Péter Szijjártó:

Hungarians stuck in Israel because Orbán cabinet travelled to Georgia?

Hungarians stuck in Israel because Orbán cabinet travelled to Georgia

Opposition MP Ákos Hadházy said that the rescue mission of the Hungarian nationals stuck in Israel amid war stopped because the Hungarian military aircrafts had to transport PM Orbán, his wife and the government members to Georgia.

Hadházy said there was a government session in the Georgian capital where Orbán and his wife took part on dinner with his Georgian counterpart, Irakli Garibasvili. The Hungarian MP highlighted that there were lots of Hungarians waiting for air rescue in Israel, but there were no planes to go since they were in Georgia. Taking home Hungarians (and other foreign nationals) from Israel continues only after the cabinet returned home, Hadházy added.

HERE is our article about the joint meeting of the two governmnents. In THIS article we wrote how fiercely Hungary fights for Georgia’s EU membership.

Foreign minister: Second military aircraft evacuates 62 people from Israel

Meanwhile, a Hungarian Armed Forces aircraft departed from Israel late on Friday, the second that day, evacuating 62 people, 46 Hungarians among them, the minister of foreign affairs and trade said. This was the fifth flight by the Hungarian Air Force to evacuate Hungarian citizens from the conflict zone, Péter Szijjártó said on Facebook.

“Thanks to the rescue efforts of the foreign ministry and defence ministry, and the coordinated work of our embassies, 547 Hungarian citizens have already been helped to make their way home,” Szijjártó said. “Since the armed conflict broke out in Israel, we have been working 24/7 to make sure all Hungarians in danger make it home safely.” “Our colleagues continue to monitor the events closely and stand ready to help when required,” he said.

PHOTOS: Hungary’s President in the biggest Hungarian steelworks

Hungarian President in the biggest steelworks

President Katalin Novák paid a visit to Dunaferr’s steel works Dunai Vasmu on the second day of her visit to Fejér County on Friday.

Liberty Steel Group, the company’s owner, said in a statement that the president was greeted by chairman Sanjeev Gupta, Liberty Steel Europe president Ajay Aggrawal and Liberty Primary Steel and Mining CEO Sandip Biswas.

Aggrawal told a press conference after the meeting that it was important that the steel works could be saved together with the employees and the economic development ministry.

Work can now begin on green steel production and a sustainable future, he added.

HERE you may read our article about Novák’s talks in Romania about Israel, Ukraine war.

Here are some photos:

Successful first joint Hungarian-Georgian government meeting

Georgia

Hungary strongly supports Georgia’s EU membership which is also in the interest of Europe, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told a press conference in Telavi, after a joint Hungarian-Georgian cabinet meeting in the city on Thursday.

Orbán highlighted Georgia’s centuries-long fight for Christianity, and its “fantastic” development in recent years.

The prime minister said that the global situation had “never been as bad in the past 30 years” but added that both Hungary and Georgia shared the view that “peace is better than war”.

Each international conflict should be concluded with peace as soon as possible, but “the world is far from that”, he said.

Hungary committed supporter of Georgia EU membership

Hungary supports granting Georgia an EU candidate status because it deems that to be just,

Orbán said, adding that in order for maintaining its competitiveness, Europe would need such a fast developing country as Georgia.

Orbán said the European Union’s competitiveness had been saved through the accession of central European countries, which he said was “proof that if Europe rejects peoples willing to work and develop, it will pay through losing its competitiveness”.

Connecting the EU with the Caucasian region is in the interest in Europe, and “linking up with Georgia is the easiest way in that,” Orbán said. “That is why we were extremely sad, even angry, when we saw that Georgia was rejected a candidate member status, whereas countries obviously far behind Georgia in terms of development had been granted that status,” he said.

The European Union should decide if enlargement is “conditional on political merits”. if so, Georgia’s treatment has not been fair and “should be remedied without delay,” he said.

On another subject, Orbán said Europe’s energy system could not be modernised without involving Georgia, adding that building an Azerbaijan-Georgia-Romania-Hungary green energy corridor was crucial for the EU, too. That project will contribute to each participant’s economic growth, he added.

Meanwhile, Orbán said bilateral agreements had been signed on cooperation in the areas of agriculture, water management, pharmaceuticals, finance and economy.

The “deepest foundation” of the friendship of Hungary and Georgia is their Christian traditions, he said. Preserving Christian traditions is a precondition for Europe’s competitiveness, he added.

first Hungarian-Georgian cabinet meeting
The first Hungarian-Georgian cabinet meeting in Telavi, Georgia. Photo: MTI

PM Garibashvili: Hungary’s government “being a true friend of Georgia

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said Thursday’s joint cabinet meeting was “of historic importance” in bilateral ties. He expressed thanks for Hungary’s government “being a true friend of Georgia” and for supporting his country’s territorial integrity and EU integration.

“Our countries share traditional and everlasting values,”

Garibashvili said and thanked the Hungarian prime minister for contributing to the protection of those values.

“Hungarians are lucky that in such hard times they have such a strong and patriotic leader that serves the interests of his people only,” he added.

As we wrote before, Batumi, the four-season Georgian tourist destination, presented in Budapest, details HERE.

Economic development minister signs cooperation pact with Georgian partner

Márton Nagy, the minister of economic development, signed a cooperation agreement with Levan Davitashvili, deputy prime minister of Georgia, on the sidelines of a joint Hungarian-Georgian cabinet meeting in Tbilisi on Thursday, the ministry said in a statement.

The two sides agreed that relations between Hungary and Georgia should be deepened and broadened, with special focus on future-oriented technologies such as artificial intelligence and Industry 4.0 solutions. Bilateral trade has come close to 90 million US dollars and the aim is to increase this further, it said.

The agreement focuses on the application of emerging digital technologies in industry, cooperation in the development of AI, the data economy, Big Data, 5G networks, BlockChain and drone technologies, partnership in workforce training policies and sharing best practices, industrial cooperation in railway and road vehicle manufacturing and in the pharmaceutical and medical equipment sectors.

During the day, the two countries’ finance ministers signed cooperation agreements on electronic taxation and debt management in Tsinandali, the Hungarian finance ministry said.

Under the agreement on e-taxation, Hungary will share know-how with Georgia on processing personal income tax returns, tills connected to the tax office and new methods regarding vehicle taxes.

Measures rolled out by Hungarian tax authorities to put a squeeze on the grey economy that have garnered international attention could benefit Georgia’s tax office, too, the Hungarian finance minister said.

The agreement on an exchange of experience regarding Hungary’s strategy to boost the share of state debt held by households could encourage Georgia to weigh a similar scheme, Mihály Varga added.

Pope Francis received Hungarian Catholic leaders at the Vatican

Pope Francis receives Hungarian Catholic leaders in Vatican

A pilgrimage of Hungarians to the Vatican will take place in April next year, Cardinal Péter Erdő, the head of the Hungarian Catholic Church, told MTI, after meeting Pope Francis at a private audience in Vatican City on Monday morning.

Cardinal Erdő headed a delegation to the Vatican including Bishop András Veres, President of the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference, and Greek Catholic Metropolitan Fülöp Kocsis.

Erdo said they expressed thanks to the pontiff for the visit he had paid to Hungary at the end of April this year. Pope Francis’ visit was “a matter for the whole of Hungary”, he said, adding that it had given the entire Catholic community new impetus and strength.

The cardinal said the pope welcomed that his visit had made a lasting impact on Hungarian society and education.

He said they had told the pontiff about a planned pilgrimage of Hungarians to the Vatican next April with the aim to jointly express thanks to him.

Erdő said Pope Francis had noted his latest meeting with President Katalin Novák in August, pointing out that they were thinking along the same lines about the values of the family and the demographic problems.

Bishop Veres said the pope had highlighted the important role Hungary could play due to its geopolitical location in serving as “a bridge” between the East and West not only politically but in terms of religion as well. Hungary, the pope said, had always been regarded as a meeting point between people and cultures, Veres added.

Veres said they also discussed the situation of Ukrainian refugees coming to Hungary on a daily basis, noting the Hungarian church’s support for the education of Ukrainian children. They also discussed the humanitarian aid extended to eastern Ukraine where a large Hungarian community lives and to which region many Ukrainians moved from the country’s western region.

As we wrote before, chances are high that the next pope will be Hungarian, details HERE.

Here’s what President Novák and Elon Musk talked about

President Novák and Elon Musk

Elon Musk could not attend the Budapest Demographic Summit, but Katalin Novák went all the way to Austin to meet him. As it seems, they share similar views. President Novák referred to Musk as “another ally in the freedom fight of families and the peace mission”.

Elon Musk and the right-wing

We have previously reported HERE that President Novák is meeting the world’s richest man who also likes to joke around on Twitter. Telex wrote that he had recently become best buddies with right-wing leaders. He had previously met the Italian PM, Georgia Meloni. It could be debated whether his lifestyle is in accordance with conservative values. Although he has many children, he is not married and has outrageous antics at times. Musk even took one of his children along to the meeting.

Having children saves the world

Musk has 11 children by at least three different women, but not all of them were carried by them. The laid-back dad has used surrogate mothers many times to carry the babies. It is hard to keep up with Elon Musk’s relationships too. A few years ago, he started dating Canadian musician, Grimes, and the two lived in an open relationship. Although they broke up, they had two children, X and Y. In September, it was revealed that the family had expanded again as the little Techno Mechanicus had arrived. According to the Hungarian President, they share similar views when it comes to demographical problems. In a Facebook post, she wrote the following:

More and more people outside Hungary, too, are realising that the demographic ice age in the West threatens with ending the world as we know it. Our country was the first to put pro-family measures at the centre of our fight against demographic decline. With Elon Musk we discussed what we can do together to help young people have more courage to say yes to having children. Childlessness is the most worrying feature of our time. Elon Musk is a new ally in the freedom fight of families, someone who knows and appreciates Hungary’s pro-family agenda.

New ally

As it appears, Hungary has found a new ally, despite the fact that Elon Musk is not very traditional about family and raising children. Although Musk’s views on marriage probably were not discussed, he would certainly not receive a social security cheque under Hungarian family policy. Fortunately, President Novák and Elon Musk share similar views on the war in Ukraine. They agree that peace is the most important. The President was extremely grateful that Musk understood the challenges of the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia.

Read also:

PHOTO: President Novák meets Elon Musk in Texas

President Novák and Elon Musk

President Katalin Novák discussed the Western world’s demographic crisis with Tesla CEO Elon Musk at the electric carmaker’s plant in Austin, Texas, on Monday.

Musk greeted Novák with one of his sons before holding private talks with the president. “Elon Musk could not make it to the Budapest Demographic Summit in the end. We are making up for the meeting now,” Novák said on Facebook. She began the meeting by saying that the demographic crisis was not getting enough attention relative to climate change.

Vajk Farkas, communications director of the presidential Sándor Palace, told public media that one of the main aims of Novák’s US visit was to meet with allies in tackling demographic challenges. These, he said, included, Musk, Texas Governor Greg Abott and Montana Governor Greg Gianforte.

Read also:

Musk has voiced his views on global demographic challenges on multiple occasions recently, saying that “population collapse” was a bigger threat than climate change. He has also recently met other world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni.

Amidst the talks of innovation and technology, the conversation veered into the realm of entertainment and online gaming. One of the challenges associated with casinos like Bets.io involves addressing issues related to demographics, notably concerns about responsible gaming and potential socioeconomic impacts. Acknowledging these challenges prompts the industry to implement thoughtful measures that prioritize player well-being and foster a balanced, inclusive environment for all patrons. Responsible gaming initiatives, support programs, and ethical marketing practices contribute to addressing these demographic concerns and ensuring that the casino experience remains enjoyable and sustainable for everyone.

Novák wraps up her visit in Utah on Tuesday, meeting Governor Spencer Cox.

Hungarian minister on official visit in the Middle East

Culture and Innovation Minister János Csák has paid an official visit to Israel and Jordan, discussing cooperation opportunities.

Csák told MTI by phone on Sunday that he had met Israel’s Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar and discussed cultural and scientific ties. The sides agreed on a number of new projects, he added. Csák also visited the Weizmann Institute, a partner of the Hungarian Research Network, accompanied by HUN-REN head Balázs Gulyás.

Culture and Innovation Minister János Csák has visited Jordan, where he discussed cultural and scientific initiatives and education.
Csák told MTI by phone on Sunday that he had met Prince El Hassan bin Talal, who heads a number of Jordan’s cultural and scientific institutions. The sides discussed prospective joint initiatives in areas ranging from climate change to water management, he added. Csák also met Haifa Najjar Jordania’s culture minister.

Read also:

Korean Cultural Festival will be held in Budapest

korean culture

The rich diversity of Korean cultural heritage will be presented at the Korean Cultural Festival in Budapest starting on 8 September.

Jeong Kwan, Seon Buddhist nun and chef as special guest

The festival’s concert series consist of various performances of traditional Korean music, kugak, presenting many different faces from the beginnings of “K-kugak” to the present day, writes turizmus,com. The Black String, led by Ho Jun Dzong, who plays the traditional Korean plucked zither (geomungo), performs at the House of Hungarian Music. The NAL project, led by Ri Hi Mun, who sings folk songs from the Gyeonggi Province, will also attract many Korean culture enthusiasts. In addition, the performers also include Pak Ji Ha, who fuses the traditional sounds of Korean instruments with contemporary beats.

Korean music history and instruments workshops

Pak Ji Ha will perform at the Erkel Theater as one of the European stops of the National Kugak Center’s world tour. They play Chongmyo Djerjak, which is the ritual music of the royal ancestors in the Chongmyo Confucian shrine. The Chongmyo Djerjak was added to the UNESCO list of intellectual cultural heritage in 2001. 54 musicians and 18 dancers take part in the spectacular 90-minute show in Budapest.

Various workshops on the history of Korean music and musical instruments await those interested in the Korean Cultural Center and the House of Traditions. The professionals of the Jintu National Kugak Center, founded in 2004, guide the participants into the world of K-kugak, which includes traditional Korean music and dance.

Korean Film Week

As part of the festival, the Korean Film Week will be held at the Korean Cultural Center. This time, the audience will be able to see two films focusing on Korean music and dance.

Nun Jeong Kwan will tell the audience about health preservation, respect for life and the essence of Korean temple cuisine based on the concept of sustainability. Guests can also join in the live presentations online.

VIDEO, PHOTOS: Hungarian President met Pope Francis

Hungarian-President-Pope-Francis-Rome-_Copy_

President Katalin Novák met Pope Francis in Vatican City on Friday, to discuss efforts to broker peace in Ukraine, the Sándor Palace, the seat of the Hungarian president, said.

During the 45-minute one-on-one meeting, Novák and Francis communicated in Spanish. The meeting held in the Pope’s library was the fourth meeting between Novák and Francis this year. Novák and Francis agreed that all players must work together for a swift and long-term, sustainable peace, the statement said. Here is a video:

They also discussed what they could do in the interest of the repatriation of Ukrainian children taken to Russia, as well as support for traditional family values and the protection of children. Novák announced at the Crimea Platform Summit earlier this week that she would next meet with Pope Francis, and outlined the message of peace which she delivered to the pontiff today.

Read also:

She presented Francis with an album on the pontiff’s Budapest visit and an icon from western Ukraine’s Transcarpathia region of the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus. Novák also met Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to discuss ways to end the war and Ukraine’s humanitarian situation. They also talked about religious freedom, the situation of persecuted Christians and topics such as the family and Christian values. The meeting was also attended by Miroslaw Wachowski, the Vatican’s under-secretary for relations with states.

Arrival to the Vatican:

Breaking: Hungarian-Ukrainian agreement, President Novák’s life in danger in Kyiv

Hungarian-President-agreement-Ukraine-air-raid

Katalin Novák, Hungary’s President, is on an official visit to Kyiv to have extensive talks with President Zelensky. The chief purpose of the visit was to sign a mutual agreement. Throughout the day, the Hungarian president was exposed to life-threatening conditions, she even had to hide in a shelter for an hour.

According to Novák’s official Facebook page, the agreement between her and Zelensky contains the following five points:

1. A direct communication channel will be established between the two presidents;
2. They will update the agreement concerning the relationship between the two countries;
3. Hungary joins the negotiations about the peace settlement initiated by the Ukrainian President;
4. Hungary and Ukraine cooperates in helping war-stricken children and their families;
5. The minority rights of the Transcarpathian Hungarians will be promptly safeguarded.

During her visit, Novák first went to the Transcarpathian region where an indigenous Hungarian community of tens of thousands reside. They are strongly determined to preserve their ethnicity despite the raging war and the booming Ukrainian nationalism. As we reported HERE, the Hungarian President then attended the Third Summit of the Crimea Platform in Kyiv, where she was personally invited by the Ukrainian President.

Read also:

However, between 3pm and 5pm, an air-raid alarm rang through the Ukrainian capital. She and her staff had to immediately flee to a shelter set up in the government district. Novák shared a video to her Instagram stories of the events, which you can watch below:

 

A bejegyzés megtekintése az Instagramon

 

Novák Katalin (@katalin.novak) által megosztott bejegyzés

Novák said Hungary condemns Russia’s aggression and added the war must end with the retake of the Crimea Peninsula. “The sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine are unquestionable”, she added on Twitter (X).

Zelensky appeared to be pleased to welcome Novák in Kyiv. Here is his tweet:

Hungarian President visited President Zelensky in Kyiv

Hungarian President Katalin Novák visited a kindergarten and school being rebuilt with Hungarian support in the village of Zahaltsy, near Kyiv, laid a wreath at a memorial site for the victims of the Russia-Ukraine war and held talks with Ukraine’s commissioner for human rights on Wednesday.

On the second day of her visit to Ukraine, Novák visited Kyiv after spending her first day in Transcarpathia. Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, told the president about the repatriation and rehabilitation of Ukrainian children taken to Russia. Novák noted that Hungary was undertaking the largest humanitarian operation in its history, as part of which it devoted special attention to organising summer camps for Ukrainian children.

Lubinets thanked Novák for the help Hungary had provided to Ukraine since the start of the war. “Hard times will always reveal true friends,” he said, adding that Hungary had been among the first countries to take in tens and later hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees, providing them the care they needed, for which all Hungarians deserved gratitude. At the talks, Novák touched on the issue of the educational and linguistic rights of the Transcarpathian Hungarian minority. Lubinets told MTI’s correspondent that there was no problem with talks with the Hungarian side, adding that “everyone has to take care of the rights of their citizens”.

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Novák later visited localities near Kyiv which were directly affected by the fighting in the first weeks of the war. In the village of Moshchun, she attended a ceremony commemorating the Ukrainian soldiers who fell defending the capital. She then visited Bucha where mass graves with dozens of bodies were uncovered after the city was liberated last year. A memorial site was created in the garden of the local Orthodox church, where the president laid a wreath.

Early in the afternoon, Novák visited the village of Zahaltsy, where a kindergarten and school building is being rebuilt with a contribution from the Hungarian government under the coordination of Hungarian Interchurch Aid (HIA). Until the reconstruction is complete, the children are looked after in a modern kindergarten building inaugurated in the spring, also through the support of HIA.

HIA President László Lehel said the organisation is currently helping more than half a million people in Ukraine. Last year, HIA spent more than 10 billion forints (EUR 26.1m) on humanitarian aid in the country, he added. Later in the afternoon, Novák is scheduled to attend the Third Summit of the Crimea Platform at the invitation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.