Magyar News, 2000. szeptember-2001. augusztus (11. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2000-11-01 / 3. szám
1000th ANNIVERSARY OF HUNGARYf Ferenc Mädl, President, on the left Dr. Balázs Somogyi and István Füzesi, on the right Dr. Géza Jeszenszky, Dr. László Molnár and László Papp President Ferenc Mádl in Connecticut. The news reached us quite unexpectedly: in the middle of August Géza Jeszenszky , the Hungarian Ambassador, informed us that the newly elected President of the Republic, Ferenc Mádl, had planned to visit with our group, the Hungarian Cultural Society of Connecticut. Needless to say, we were excited and somewhat overwhelmed and felt truly honored. Preparations had to be made quickly. The President and his entourage planned to visit Connecticut during the hours immediately preceding their departure to Hungary: consequently, the meeting was planned for noon on September 9th. We had decided to hold the reception at a private residence in Riverside. Attendance at this function had to be limited: members of the Hungarian Cultural Society (HCSC) and invited guests participated. Thorough and appropriate preparations were completed by the Greenwich Police, the Hungarian Security staff and the American Secret Service. President Mádl completed his appearances at the United Nations on Friday, September 8th. A last minute meeting with Richard Holbrooke was scheduled for Saturday morning. This appointrrent proved to last longer than expected -as the result, the President's arrival in Riverside was somewhat delayed. “The President's motorcade just crossed the New York- Connecticut border...”, .’’They are just two blocks away...” -the excitement of those waiting kept mounting. The atmosphere was truly intense and electric . At 12:45 PM the motorcade pulled into the driveway. President Mádl was accompanied by Ambassador Géza Jeszenszky and Mrs. Edit Jeszenszky, Dr. László Molnár, Consul General from the Hungarian Consulate in New York, other members of the Hungarian diplomatic community, journalists and representatives of the Hungarian Television. A round of introductions and handshakes followed: Mr. Mádl personally greeted everyone present. After brief introductory remarks by Dr. Balázs Somogyi, Ambassador Jeszenszky formally introduced President Mádl. The President gave an appropriate assessment of Hungary's present position in the family of nations. He strongly emphasized the importance of Hungarian participation in NATO: while describing the country's progress, he called attention to the significant increase in the Gross National Product (GNP). In his opinion, Hungary of the Western World has a highly significant role to fill. President Mádl expressed his strong hope that “transplantation” of “Hungarian brain and ability” from the West will continue unabated. He outlined a number of potential possibilities in this process: he felt deeply convinced that Hungary can only benefit from this exchange. The reception was highly successful and of persitently high quality. Thanks to the care and talent of ladies of HCSC, the food was outstanding -it satisfied the eye and the palate alike. President Mádl proved to be friendly, engaging and gregarious. Everybody present had the opportunity to converse with him: he was warm and receptive, and exhibited a good sense of humor. During the reception, several members of the Hungarian business cammunity of Connecticut had ample opportunity to develop contacts with the political elite. Prior to Mr. Mádl’s departure to the airport, a short “question and answer” forum developed. In response to inquiries, the President repeatedly cautioned against excessive, reckless optimism. The country's progress will continue, to be sure, but it will be gradual and at times, undoubtedly, painful. An unexpected ,warm and dearingly human development brought the visit to an appropriate end. President Mádl was already seated in his limousine when a number of children, ages 4-7, walked up the driveway. They had heard about the President of Hungary visiting their neighborhood: they had wanted to meet him. They had prepared Hungarian flags and prepared a sign with the message: “Welcome to America.” President Mádl most graciously got out of his car, posed for pictures with the kids and proceeded to sign their poster. A remarkable conclusion of a remarkable meeting, indeed. It was an event that we shall never forget. Dr. Balázs B. Somogyi Page 1
