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This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
Statement of Don Pressley
Hungary Close-Out Ceremony
June 29, 1999
I am proud to join Foreign Minister János Martonyi [YAN-osh MAR-ton-nee] and Ambassador Peter Tufo today to commemorate Hungary’s graduation from bilateral U.S. assistance. You know, on my way over here, I passed the beautiful Parliament building—one of my favorites in Budapest. As I am sure our Hungarian hosts know, the site of the Parliament building—on the Pest side of the Danube—was deliberately chosen to counter the presence of the royal palace on Buda Hill: to symbolize that Hungary’s destiny lay with popular democracy and not with royal whim. It is a sentiment that we in America understand well.
But we know the roots of Hungarian democracy are much older than that—in fact, they can be said to go all the way back to 1222, when King András [AN-drash] the Second signed the Golden Bull. And of course, we must not ever forget the revolutions of 1848 and 1956, both of which proved that even when the yoke of oppression was heaviest, the spirit of the Hungarian people could not be broken.
Ten years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, it is truly the dawn of a new era for Hungary. A former recipient of foreign aid is poised to become a donor—and this is as it should be. I am proud that USAID was able to help Hungary make this sometimes difficult, sometimes joyous transition.
Hungary today stands as a shining example of just what can be accomplished in ten short years with determination, the right leadership, and a lot of hard work.
Hungary has, for instance, successfully restructured its economy. A full 90% of the GDP now comes from the private sector, which also employs 70% of the work force.
Hungary has privatized its banking and energy sectors.
With the help of the USAID-supported Center for Independent Journalism, Hungary has established a truly free and independent media.
These are amazing accomplishments all, especially for such a short period of time.
But it wasn’t easy. The lessons that this country learned—there are probably a dozen behind every success—can and should be shared with other countries. I am delighted that Hungary has already started to do so. For example:
Officials from as close as Latvia and as far away as Mongolia have come here to learn about privatization;
Farmers from Bulgaria and Macedonia are learning better farming methods from their Hungarian counterparts;
And journalists from all over Central and Eastern Europe and the New Independent States are studying the Hungarian example of reforming media laws and operations.
I applaud this spirit of cooperation. May it long continue.
You know, every time I visit Hungary I am reminded of just how much this country has contributed to our world. The music of Béla Bártok [BAY-la BAR-toke], the political vision of Lajos Kossuth [Lye-osh Koe-soot], and the literature of Árpád Göncz [AR-pod Guntz] have all made the world a better and more beautiful place to live. The assistance Hungary will soon provide to developing countries around the world is but the next chapter in the story.
From where we stand today, with our feet in the 20th century, our eyes toward the 21st, the world looks full of promise. I know that the nation of Hungary will be a part of the team that helps fulfill this promise.
Kossuth [Koe-soot] once said that "The hand of the watch does not determine the course of time—it only marks it. My name is only a hand—but it shows the time that will come."
As we stand on the threshold of the 21st century, Kossuth’s [Koe-soot’s] words ring true: Hungary’s time, indeed, has come.
On behalf of everyone at the USAID and especially for all those who have served in this great country, I want to thank the Hungarian people for allowing us to be a part of your success. As we say in America, I think this is the start of a great friendship.
Thank you.
This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
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Last Updated on: July 12, 2001 |
