Delegation from Hungary to visit Toledo

The city of Toledo and the Lucas County Commissioners will host officials from Hungary and members of the Ohio National Guard tomorrow, Tuesday, May 15.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the partnership between the Ohio National Guard and the nation of Hungary. The Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program, which is managed by the National Guard Bureau, was created to promote regional stability and civil-military relationships.

“Ohio’s relationship with Hungary goes beyond our nations’ military-to-military cooperation and more closely reflects the bond between family members,” said Toledo Councilman Peter Ujvagi, a native of Hungary.

The Hungarian delegation includes Major General Istvan Szabo, Colonel Janos Hess, Command Sergeant Major István Kriston, and Captain Jozsef Lengyel.

Members of the Ohio National Guard and the Hungarian delegation will meet with the Lucas County commissioners at 11 a.m., Tuesday, when they will be presented with a proclamation. They will meet with Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz at 11:45 a.m.

“This partnership has many rewarding aspects,” Mayor Kapszukiewicz said. “I look forward to greeting our Hungarian friends and continuing the professional exchange we have had with Hungary the past 25 years.”

The Ohio-Hungary partnership is one of the oldest in the country, developed under the State Partnership Program (SPP). Since 1993, there have been more than 300 exchanges between the Ohio National Guard and Hungary at locations in the U.S. and Europe. There are 74 SPP partnerships between U.S. states, territories, the District of Columbia, and countries around the world. In addition to Hungary, the Ohio National Guard has also been paired with Serbia since 2006.

The Hungarian Club of Toledo, the Toledo Szeged Sister City, and the Lucas County-Csongrád County Sister County organizations have hosted numerous delegations of Hungarian and military officials the past 25 years. The efforts have strengthened the relationship between Toledo’s Hungarian-American community and Hungary.

For more information on the Ohio National Guard’s Partnership with Hungary, please visit: http://ong.ohio.gov/SPP/hungary_index.html