[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Page 22446]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, later this afternoon, several of my 
colleagues and I have the honor of hosting Hungarian Prime Minister 
Ferenc Gyurcsany in the U.S. Capitol.
  The Prime Minister has served for just a little bit over 1 year. His 
country, as we all know, is a valued friend and ally of the United 
States. Hungary's transition to a Western-style parliamentary democracy 
was the first and smoothest of the countries formally under the 
dominion of the Soviet bloc.
  In May of 1990, Hungary held its first free parliamentary election. 
In the intervening years, Hungary has made tremendous strides in 
strengthening its democratic foundation and becoming more integrated in 
the Euro-Atlantic institutions. It became a full NATO ally in March of 
1999. Last spring, it earned full membership to the European Union, the 
EU.
  Today, the United States and Hungary maintain a positive and a 
productive bilateral relationship. Our two countries work closely 
together and through international organizations such as the EU and 
NATO. In particular, Hungary has been a steadfast ally for the United 
States and NATO missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and in the Balkans. It 
is a member of the coalition that liberated Iraq. It also contributed 
troops to Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and has played an 
important role in the training and equipping of the Afghan National 
Army. Recently, Hungary offered to lead one of the provincial 
reconstruction teams to help stabilize Afghanistan.
  Hungary is a brave nation. Hungary is a proud nation. On behalf of 
the American people, I express my most sincere gratitude and respect 
for the invaluable contributions it has made to the war effort.
  Hungary is also playing another invaluable role in the spread of 
democracy. As a nation only recently emerged from decades of tyranny, 
Hungary is sharing its unique lessons with today's emerging 
democracies. It has established an International Center for Democratic 
Transition to reach out and nurture the world's newest democracies. The 
center will act as a resource for countries in transition. There, they 
can gain insights into the obstacles and opportunities before them. I 
have no doubt that this new center will help democracy take root, to 
grow, and to flourish, and will help the world's newly emerging 
democracies succeed.
  During our talks this afternoon, I look forward to discussing these 
and many other issues of mutual interest with the Prime Minister. The 
United States and Hungary have worked hard to build a close, 
cooperative relationship. I am confident that through continued 
exchanges and dialog, we can deepen and solidify our bond as champions 
and defenders of freedom.

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