She said Hungary and the U.S. see eye-to-eye on international issues such as the Balkans and Afghanistan and the two countries work closely as NATO allies. She particularly cited the joint training program of the Hungarian military and the Ohio National Guard, which is looked upon as a model program by NATO.

In response to answers from the students, Ambassador Kounalakis said that Hungary had changed and accomplished a lot in the past 20 years. At end of the high school program, she along with Ministry of Education officials handed out certificates to members of the winning teams in the America Day competition. She then had lunch with Mayor László Habis and officials from Eszterházy College, which she visited later in the afternoon. She met political science students at the American Corner and discussed the election results with them.

Ambassador Kounalakis concluded her outreach with a visit to the Tanoda (community center/school) in Halmajugra, where talented children of the local Roma community recited poems and performed dances and piano pieces to demonstrate the important role Tanoda is playing in providing meaningful extracurricular activities. The Ambassador was welcomed by Alajos and Rozália Lakatos of the “Together for Halmajugra, Roma –Hungarian Association.” In her remarks, the Ambassador told personal stories to emphasize the importance of education as a tool for advancement and achievement for the Roma."

Source: U.S. Embassy Budapest

Photo: Ambassador Kounalakis presenting certificates of achievement to students of Dobo High School in Eger (Embassy Photo by Attila Németh)