Juan David Latorre
Katalin Tóth, Hungarian ambassador, celebrated her country’s National Day last Tuesday, in which she once again reaffirmed support for the neighbouring country of Ukraine, pointing out that “we have a duty to help Ukrainian citizens who are fleeing the war by the thousands every day”.
“We Hungarians have been clear from the very beginning of our history,” said Ambassador Katalin Tóth, “independence and national sovereignty do not fall from the sky for a nation, but must be fought for with effort, faith and, in many cases, at the cost of immeasurable sacrifices.”
Katalin Tóth recalled the figure of the so-called ‘greatest Hungarian’, István Széchenyi, who wrote in his masterpiece, The Credit, that a nation lives in its language. A common language, cultural values and a built heritage are necessary but not sufficient conditions for becoming an independent nation. It is the historical events in which we have fought our battles for survival that shape a nation. One of these landmarks for my country is 23 October 1956″.
“We know very well what it feels like to believe, at all costs and to the end,” continued the Hungarian ambassador, “in the truth, in the idea of freedom that the oppressive regime and its dictatorship have unsuccessfully tried to redefine and distort. All peoples who defend their freedom, their country, their land and the sovereignty of their nation must be respected. We all know this, including our Spanish friends, who supported Hungarian independence since the 15th century when the Spanish Council of State contributed considerable sums to the defeat of the enemy. Thus, it is self-evident for both peoples to pay tribute to all the heroes of the ’56 revolution, while bowing our heads among the Ukrainian nation, which defends its freedom, its borders recognised by the international community, its sovereignty and the union of its nation. We have a duty to help Ukrainian citizens who are fleeing the war by the thousands every day, to help using all the means and resources at our disposal. I believe that in this respect the Hungarians have passed with flying colours.
“We Hungarians, continued Katalin Tóth, through the violent centuries we have lived through, have learned the lesson of history: there is no other way to build a future, to responsibly promote the well-being of our children and grandchildren, than in a peaceful and secure environment. The world, including Europe, needs peace. The pursuit of peace is an integral part of the Hungarian spirit.
“The Hungarian people decided 1,000 years ago to belong to the West by choosing Christian-Catholic values. Since then, we have confirmed this choice of values many times. I am convinced that belonging to a nation and belonging to Europe at the same time are not mutually exclusive, but, on the contrary, complement and strive for each other.”
To conclude, the Hungarian ambassador referred to Spanish-Hungarian relations, expressing her desire to continue working on them, which “we value in the political, economic and cultural spheres. We are strengthened by the growing economic ties in various areas, as evidenced by the presence of several Spanish companies in Hungary for years. Hungary will do its utmost in the future to provide an attractive business environment for Spanish investment. We are ready to deepen and broaden cooperation on the basis of dialogue, mutual understanding and respect, both in our bilateral relations, as well as with the European Union and throughout the forthcoming Spanish and then Hungarian presidencies of the Council of the European Union”.
Numerous ambassadors attended the celebration, including those of Serbia, Cyprus, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Israel, Finland, Moldova, Korea, Austria, Latvia, Azerbaijan, Ghana and the Dominican Republic. Also present were the managing director of the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Evelio Acevedo, members of AECID, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, senior officials from the Ministry of Defence and the CNI, as well as the Police and Civil Guard of the Ministry of the Interior and the Community and City Council of Madrid.
