Ambassador Dr. Ferenc Somogyi
Embassy of the Republic of Hungary
Washington, D.C.

Topic:  Hungary-United States: allies and cooperating partners

Born:,                        Hartkirchen (Austria)

Studies:           

1952-64            Primary and secondary schools in Budapest

University degrees:

1968: International relations, University of Economics, Budapest, 

1979: International relations, College for Political Sciences, Budapest

Doctoral Degree:

1977: World economics, University of Economics, Budapest

Professional carreer:

1968-1991            Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Hungary

1968-1969            Junior desk officer, Budapest

1969-1971            Attaché, Hungarian Embassy, Rangoon, Burma

1971-1973            Second Secretary, Hungarian Embassy, Lagos, Nigeria

1973-1980            Senior desk officer, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Budapest

1980-1984            Deputy Permanent Representative of Hungary to the United Nations, New York

1984-1989            Head of Department for Multilateral and Global Issues, MFA, Budapest

1986                    Promoted to the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

1989-1990            State Secretary, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Budapest

1990-1991            Professional State Secretary, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Budapest

       - Chief negotiator, talks on the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Hungary

1992-1994            Chairman, Exportguarantie Ltd (later: EXIM Bank), Budapest

1992-1994            Director of Faculty, College for Foreign Trade, Budapest     

1994-1998            Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Hungary

1994-1996            Professional State Secretary, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Budapest

1996-1998            State Secretary, Euro-Atlantic Integration, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Budapest

- Chief negotiator for the Hungary – Slovakia Framework Treaty

- Chief negotiator for the Hungary – Roumania Framework Treaty

- Chief negotiator for Hungary’s NATO accession talks

- Chief negotiator for Hungary’s EU accession talks

1998-2001         MATÁV Hungarian Telecommunications, Budapest

                        Director for Euro-Atlantic Integration

2001-2004      CEO, Stonebridge Communications AD, Skopje, Macedonia (member of the MATÁV Group) 

2004-2006         Minister for Foreign Affairs of Hungary

2006-2007         Magyar Telekom, Hungarian Telecommunications Co., Budapest

                        Director for International Affairs

Other functions:

1989-1992         Member, Hungarian Olympic Committee

1994-1998         Member, Hungarian Olympic Committee

1994-                Member, Board of Trustees, Mc. Daniel College, Westminster, Md., USA

1998-               Member, International Advisory Board, Institute for the Study of Europe, Columbia University, New York, N.Y. USA

1998-2003         President, Hungarian Atlantic Council

1999-2001         Member, Board of the American Chamber of Commerce, Hungary

2001-2003         Vice-President, Atlantic Treaty Associations