“The diaspora is Hungary’s ambassador and representation in neighbouring countries and throughout the world”, Minister of State for National Policy Árpád János Potápi, from the Prime Minister’s Office, said on Saturday at a conference entitled National Solidarity and Responsibility in light of the Fundamental Law held that the Ópusztaszer National Heritage Park on Saturday.

“The Government recognised that cross-border Hungarians are part of the nation and a value we must preserve, because they are our representatives in both neighbouring country and far-away parts of the world”, Mr. Potápi stressed.

According to the Minister of State, national policy has been one of the Cabinet’s most successful activities in recent years. “As a result, we have now succeeded in developing a framework system on which we can build in the long term”, he said. “We are doing our job, in agreement with the representatives of cross-border Hungarians and in continuous dialogue with them”, he stated.

“It is a source of mutual pride for all of us, in view of the fact that it is the result of joint effort and cooperation, that we are also politically strong within the Carpathian Basin”, he added. The Minister of State declared: “Today, the leaders of the mother country place great emphasis on the diaspora and on preserving the dispersed Hungarian community not only in words, but also in deeds”, as demonstrated by several successful cross-border programmes. “We must preserve the diaspora, because if we lose that then the blocks will be the next to go”, he said.

The National Solidarity and Responsibility in light of the Fundamental Law conference was the close of a series of events marking the fifth anniversary the adoption of Hungary’s Fundamental Law. The new Constitution was adopted by Parliament on 18 April 2011, and the document was subsequently signed on Easter Monday, 25 April 2011, by President of the Republic Pál Schmidt. The legislation came into force on 1 January 2012. Prior to January 2012, Hungary’s Constitution was Act XX of 1949, which was amended on several occasions between 1949 and 1989.

(MTI)