Blog

20 june 2014, hungary in manchester

An interesting day yesterday, spent with the new hungarian ambassador, peter szabadhegy. The occasion was my appointment as hungary's newest honorary consul, making me somehow a member of the diplomatic corps and the proud owner of a foreign and commonwealth office card, a large brass plate, an impressive official stamp, a signed letter from the hungarian foreign minister, and two enormous flags, a hungarian and an eu one. I have various duties, but really will be about trade and investment, both ways, and broader connectivity, especially on our planes. My relationship with hungary has in recent years, or always given its past, had both a grey side (see eg 21 september 2013) and a radiant one. It is the latter that always wins out, and we visit and enjoy the country all the time and I am very happy to gather energies both towards its success, and towards its success as the open, modern, european centre I have come to know so well. As well as a tour of the airport, we had the best part of a day's business meetings, thoughts about a real proposition for the splendid victoria baths and a lovely ceremony at the town hall where I was duly invested with wine, speeches, lots of both friends and dignitaries and a 101 warnings along the lines of not knowing what we're letting ourselves in for. Amongst other things, rather more of hungary's very finest export, sweet tokay wine. I hope that is my only just deserts.

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