“We are grateful to all the heroes of 1956, in view of the fact that they played a major role in enabling us to enjoy freedom today”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in a video message to cross-border Hungarians and Hungarian foreign representations.

“Our gratitude must also be expressed in the fact that Hungary still insists on its sovereignty and freedom today”, Mr. Szijjártó stressed. In a statement to Hungarian news agency MTI on Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the Minister had sent a video message to cross-border Hungarians and all Hungarian foreign representations, and the message will be played at all embassies and consulate generals during the 23 October commemorations.

According to the Ministry, in the message the Minister states that: “In 1956, the people of Hungary said they had had enough of  tyranny, dictatorship and intimidation, and of the fact that others want to decide on the fate of the Hungarians and tell them how they should live their lives in their own homeland”.

“The Hungarian nation is a nation of freedom fighters. We also proved this in 1956, when the people of Hungary were brave enough to stand up against the greatest odds, and although they expected to receive help and did not receive any, they nevertheless stuck to their goals and fought till the end regardless for Hungarian freedom”, the Minister added.

“The Hungarians will never accept others telling them how they should live in their homeland”, Mr. Szijjártó highlighted. “We Hungarians will never accept others deciding on our future. We owe this to our heroes of 1956”, he stated.

(MTI)