Viktor Orbán Greets Former US President Jimmy Carter on His 100th Birthday

MTI-Hungary Today 2024.10.01.

Jimmy Carter’s presidential portrait

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has expressed his best wishes on behalf of the Hungarian people to former US President Jimmy Carter on the occasion of his 100th birthday, Bertalan Havasi, the Prime Minister’s press chief, told MTI.

On October 1, Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, who served from 1977 to 1981, turned 100 years old. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Carter is the oldest living former President of the United States.

“I am proud to join thousands of people around the world on this momentous day in expressing my respect and appreciation for a family man, a devoted Christian and a unique life’s journey,” the Prime Minister wrote in the letter, adding that Jimmy Carter occupies an exceptional place in the hearts of Hungarians, because he “not only earned our respect, but also won our hearts.”

The Hungarian nation will always think of you as the President of the United States who gave us back the Holy Crown, who gave us back the symbol of a thousand years of Hungarian statehood and Christian tradition. This act was a light of hope for us at that moment in a hopeless time,”

he wrote.

Mr. Orbán concluded his letter by expressing his gratitude to former President Jimmy Carter for his courageous commitment to the Hungarian nation.

Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok also sent a birthday greeting on X. “Former US President Jimmy Carter turns 100 today.

On behalf of the Hungarian people, I’d like to thank you for strengthening the relationship between our countries.

We will never forget your contribution to returning the Holy Crown to Hungary. God bless you, Mr. President!” he wrote in the post.

Former #US President Jimmy Carter turns 100 today. On behalf of the Hungarian people, I’d like to thank you for strengthening the relationship between our countries. We will never forget your contribution to returning the Holy Crown to #Hungary. God bless you, Mr. President! pic.twitter.com/RyII4t9ffR

— Dr. Tamás Sulyok (@DrTamasSulyok) October 1, 2024

Fact

The Hungarian Holy Crown is one of the oldest crowns in Europe. The Holy Crown is a symbol of Hungarian statehood that has accompanied Hungarian history from at least the 12th century to the present day. At the end of March 1945, as Soviet troops approached, the Holy Crown and the Crown Jewels were taken from Hungary to Germany. The crown was soon afterwards transferred to the United States, and at the request of then Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Nagy, the Americans were entrusted with its safekeeping until the military and political situation eased.

Jimmy Carter, who was known to have sought an ongoing dialogue with the Soviet Union and the Communist bloc countries, finally returned the Holy Crown on January 5, 1978. In 1996, Carter was awarded the Commander’s Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit with a Star for his extensive work in developing Hungarian-American relations and for the return of the Hungarian Crown Jewels. The former President also visited Hungary in the same year. In Vác, he took part in an ecumenical Christian housing project organized by Habitat for Humanity International, in which 500 volunteers built ten houses in a week.

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Via MTI, Featured image: Wikipedia