Külügyi Szemle - A Magyar Külügyi Intézet folyóirata - 2011 (10. évfolyam)
2011 / 3. szám - MAGYAR-AMERIKAI KAPCSOLATOK - Tsakopoulos Kounalakis, Eleni: Preface for the October 2011 Issue of Foreign Policy Review
Preface for the October 2011 Issue of Foreign Policy Review I t has been close to two years since I arrived in Hungary and presented my credentials to President László Sólyom. New to Hungary, my expectations were shaped by information collected from a number of different sources. My husband, Markos Kounalakis, is a journalist who covered the 1989-1990 change of regime in Hungary and the transitions in the region. Recalling his time in Budapest, he was eager to return. We also quickly made new friends - Hungarians, Americans and Hungarian- Americans alike - who were all eager to share their knowledge and opinions (and a list of "required reading"!) with me. Last, but not least, the State Department also went to work, as it does with all ambassadors-to-be. In the process, I discovered and came to appreciate a relationship between two nations, encompassing almost all areas of life and society: from defense and law enforcement cooperation to academic exchange programs and from business ties to civil society initiatives. The editors of Foreign Policy Review have now asked me to reflect on U.S.-Hungarian relations as I see them today. Although the past two years have certainly enriched my knowledge and appreciation of all things Hungarian, what has not changed is my conviction that Hungary is a multi-faceted and complex nation, full of potential and talent - and a true friend to the United States. Let me start by reflecting on that last element: a friendship that is, actually, mutual and based on shared values. The fundamental basis of U.S. foreign policy is our values. As I write these words, I am sitting in my office, the very room that was home to Cardinal József Mindszenty for fifteen years between 1956 and 1971. Recently, a group of young Hungarian visitors, on seeing the Cardinal's portrait hanging on my wall, commented on the significance of having a true Hungarian freedom fighter's likeness decorating the office of the American ambassador. For me, the story of Cardinal Mindszenty finding refuge in the U.S. Embassy is symbolic of not only Hungarian history and the changes the country has experienced, but also both our peoples' passion for freedom. Today, a plaque on the wall of the Chancery and the painting in my office pay tribute to this important figure of twentieth-century Hungarian history. 2011. ősz 7
