Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó handed over the Middle Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary to the departing US Ambassador to Budapest Colleen Bell on Tuesday in Budapest.
The Minister highlighted in his speech: Colleen Bell arrived in Budapest two years ago at a time which was not the best period in bilateral political cooperation, but by now the situation has changed significantly. There is an opportunity once again to make long-term plans and to boost Hungarian-US relations.
Mr Szijjártó said: the US Ambassador was a good friend of Hungary. When he first met her almost two years ago, Mrs Bell said after the meeting: “we’ll turn the volume down”, and this may indeed have been seen as the motto of her activities, the Foreign Minister reiterated. He added: cooperation is now fit for improvement, rather than talking about an all-time low in bilateral relations as the parties did two years ago.
The Minister took the view that Mrs Bell’s commitment was absolutely essential for rebuilding cooperation, and the US diplomat demonstrated unconditional respect towards Hungary. Hungary, too, gives everyone the respect that is their due, and likewise expects respect in return, he said. Mr Szijjártó stressed: all you need for success is mutual respect and ongoing dialogue.
Upon receiving the decoration, Mrs Bell said that, beyond doubt, the Transatlantic community is facing a great many challenges today, which draws attention to how important it is to forge alliances, to make joint efforts and to stand up for the values that we regard as important.
She reiterated: when US President Barack Obama appointed her to the position of Ambassador to Budapest, she said she would travel around the whole country, and would visit every county and national park as well as smaller and larger localities. She did so in order to build even further relations between the Hungarian and American people, she explained.
In her speech, the departing Ambassador said thanks to the Foreign Minister, the Ministry and the staff of the US Embassy for their cooperation.
The US Ambassador announced on the Embassy’s Facebook page at the beginning of January that she would leave her post upon the end of her mandate, on 20 January. The New York Times wrote that several US ambassadors will be required to leave their posts within a short time, before president-elect Donald Trump is sworn in on 20 January. The American newspaper reported that the US State Department sent a message to this effect on behalf of Mr Trump’s transition team in December. According to the document, this measure extends to all politically appointed ambassadors – individuals who were appointed to head US Embassies abroad on account of their close relations with the President.
Mrs Bell was appointed to the post of Ambassador of the United States to Budapest by US President Barack Obama, the Senate approved her appointment at the end of 2014, and the diplomat handed over her credentials to President of the Republic János Áder in January 2015. Prior to her service in the diplomatic corps, Mrs Bell was a leading business executive at an award-winning production company.
(MTI)
