"Happy birthday, Hungary! But perhaps, here and now, it would be more accurate to say: happy rebirthday, Hungary!' Karacsony said in a video on his YouTube channel, noting that an overwhelming majority had voted for a "European Hungary" in the April election.

Speaking about the challenges facing the country, Karacsony noted that the water level of the Danube had never been so low, the summer had never been so hot or so dry, and the country’s water and electricity supplies had never been so close to collapse as during this summer.

The heat, the drought and their serious consequences will not be exceptions, but the new norm in Hungary, and in Budapest in particular, he said.

The number of hot days is steadily rising, and "we are having to contend with prolonged droughts or sudden floods", which are affecting agriculture, housing, transport, health and the social situation, he said.

The sight of the Danube, Lake Velence, Lake Balaton, the rivers and streams, the arable fields and the parks had perhaps made it clear to everyone that this was not merely a scientific prediction, nor was it scaremongering, he said.

Constant adaptation, as well as strengthening the resilience of the country and of Budapest - which is particularly vulnerable to climate change - is the responsibility of the government, the capital, all Hungarian local authorities and every Hungarian citizen, he added.

Ukraine's Zelensky sends greetings to Hungarians on national holiday

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sent a letter of greeting to the Hungarian people to mark Hungary’s national holiday on Thursday and invited Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar to Kyiv.

"On behalf of the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian state, it is an honour for me to congratulate you and the entire friendly Hungarian people on the occasion of Hungary's national holiday, St Stephen’s Day," Zelensky said in the letter, which the Ukrainian embassy in Hungary published on social media.

"Our peoples are bound together by good-neighbourly relations, mutual respect and a centuries-long history of shared struggle for freedom and our own statehood, which provides a solid foundation for the further development of the partnership between Ukraine and Hungary," he added.

He said he was grateful to Hungary for its consistent support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as for its solidarity during this "period defined by brutal Russian aggression".

He said they particularly appreciate the humanitarian aid, the support for the rehabilitation of Ukrainian children and soldiers, and the assistance provided to Ukrainian citizens.

"We value Hungary as a good neighbour and a reliable partner. Today, thanks to the choice of the Hungarian people, we are opening a new chapter in our bilateral relations, one based on mutually beneficial cooperation, mutual respect, peace and understanding," he said.

"This is particularly symbolic, as this year we are celebrating the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Hungary," he added.

Zelensky reaffirmed his readiness for open and constructive cooperation with a view to further strengthening Ukrainian-Hungarian relations and developing comprehensive cooperation, "for our shared European future".

"I would be delighted to welcome you to Kyiv at a time that suits you best," he said to Magyar, wishing him every success in building the modern Hungarian state, and peace, unity and prosperity for the Hungarian people.

In early July, upon arriving at a NATO summit in Ankara, Magyar told journalists that he had held a brief discussion the previous day with Zelensky, and they agreed to hold a bilateral meeting in the near future.

They agreed that their meeting would take place either in Budapest or in Kyiv, and that afterwards they would travel together to Berehove (Beregszasz) in Transcarpathia, he added.


Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881.

Photo: Karácsony's Facebook page

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