Hungarians celebrate with a special treat

Islamabad : On the occasion of the national day of Hungary on the 62nd anniversary of the 1956 Revolution and Freedom Fight, the ambassador of Hungary, Istvan Szabo and Mrs Emilia Szabo hosted a reception at the Serena Hotel. The event was well attended and the chief was Fedreal Minister for Water Resources Muhammad Faisal Vawda with the cake cutting ceremony taking place after the national anthems of both countries had been played.

Welcoming his guests, Ambassador Szabo paid tribute to the heroes who laid down their lives for the freedom of their countrymen, triggering the collapse of the Berlin Wall and end to the communist system. “Pakistan was among the countries who expressed their solidarity with us when the UN Resolution condemning the Soviet military invasion,” he said. “Hungarians will always remember those who stood by them in their fight for freedom.” He went on to speak about bilateral relations in which co-operation has improved in many fields; the historical and cultural ties that exist between the two countries; the fact that Hungary’s largest company MOL has been operating in Pakistan for twenty years, providing jobs to hundreds of local people; the ongoing project which involves the restoration of paintings in Pakistan by Hungarian artist, August Schoefft and the fact that Hungary has provided 200 government scholarships, free of cost, every year since 2015 for Pakistani students for higher education. He concluded by mentioning the ‘Hun Gastro Festival,’ which was inaugurated at the event, giving a brief introduction of the chefs; thanking MOL; Serena’s staff; Pakistani and Hungarian members of the embassy for their support and wishing everyone would enjoy the evening.

In his response, the chief guest wished the government and people on behalf of his government and himself and hoped the friendly ties and bilateral relations between the two countries would grow and prosper in years to come.

An unusual, eye catching backdrop had been used for the VIP sitting area, with colored lights defining the outlines of Hungary’s capital city, while beautiful slides of the sounds and sights of Hungary kept flashing on the screen throughout the evening. Best of all, proper dining arrangements had been made in the lobby so that guests could enjoy the special cuisine served on the occasion - which they did while planning to bring their friends and families to avail of this treat.

The food festival has been arranged in collaboration with Serena hotel and Hungarian Gastronomic National Association, whereby four chefs from Hungary are in town to serve the authentic cuisine of the country for three days.