President Bush to Visit Budapest, Hungary

UPDATE: JUNE 22, 2006, FULL STREAMING VIDEO, President's Remarks to the People of Hungary - "Here is the time, now or never! Shall we be slaves or free? This is the question, answer! By the God of the Hungarians we swear, We swear to be slaves no more!"

Technorati Tags: President Bush and White House or Hungarian Revolution and Hungary or Tom Lantos and Europe or Budapest Hungary and European Union Summit or President Laszlo Solyom and Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany

President Bush to Visit Budapest, Hungary

President Bush will visit Budapest, Hungary for a bilateral program on June 22, 2006, following his participation in the U.S.-European Union Summit in Vienna, Austria. In Budapest, the President will celebrate Hungary's historic sacrifices in the name of freedom by commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, underscore the success of the U.S.-European partnership in securing freedom in the region, and highlight the lessons offered from Hungary's successful transition from tyranny to free-market democracy.

Hungary is a close NATO ally, sharing its experiences with emerging democracies and committed to the war on terror. Hungary has made important contributions in support of democracy and security in the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq. The President looks forward to the opportunity to continue his discussions on our transatlantic agenda with President Laszlo Solyom and Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany.

# # # For Immediate Release, Office of the Press Secretary, June 8, 2006

Hungary was part of the polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire, which collapsed during World War I. The country fell under Communist rule following World War II. In 1956, a revolt and announced withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact were met with a massive military intervention by Moscow.

Under the leadership of Janos KADAR in 1968, Hungary began liberalizing its economy, introducing so-called "Goulash Communism." Hungary held its first multiparty elections in 1990 and initiated a free market economy. It joined NATO in 1999 and the EU in 2004. CIA Fact Book

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