The new ambassador of the United Kingdom to Budapest, Justin McKenzie Smith, introduced himself in a video posted on the website of the British Embassy on Thursday. The diplomat is speaking Hungarian in the video shot on the Chain Bridge, and although the precise pronunciation of Hungarian words clearly still presents a challenge for him, he nevertheless delivered the most popular clichés about Hungary with a charming accent and in a completely intelligible manner, saying that Budapest is a beautiful city – "I find something new to marvel at here every day" – and that Hungarian food is delicious.
McKenzie Smith recalled that the Chain Bridge was inaugurated 176 years ago, on November 20, 1849, and that for him it is not just a bridge, but "a symbol of the relationship between the two countries." It was István Széchenyi who, inspired by his experiences in England, began to advocate for the construction of the bridge, and the work was led by a young Scottish engineer, Adam Clark. The ambassador noted that he was particularly proud of this fact, as he himself is Scottish.
The diplomat also spoke about his intention to strengthen British-Hungarian relations, emphasizing this with a line from Attila József's poem "By the Danube" (A Dunánál): "And finally settle our common affairs."
In 2016, then-ambassador Ian Lindsay also chose a poem by Attila József to celebrate The Day of Poetry; his delivery of "Tavasz van! Gyönyörű!" (Spring is here! How beautiful!) can be seen here.
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