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László Papp was awarded the German-Hungarian Friendship Prize on the 11th of May 2024. He received the award at the German Economic Ball held at the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest. In his acceptance speech, he said that it was a great honour for him to receive this award.
“All this recognition is also a confirmation that the path we have taken and the direction Debrecen is heading in is the right one and should be recognised by others. And when this recognition comes from our most important ally, our closest business partner, it brings us even closer to our German friends,” he said.
The mayor emphasised that he alone would be “insufficient” to foster German-Hungarian relations, so he does not consider this award as his own, but attributes it to the team behind him and the entire business community of Debrecen.
“Our much-vaunted slogan ‘We are Debrecen together’ expresses exactly this,” he pointed out.
László Papp said that one of his most important tasks as mayor of the city is not only to maintain traditions, but also to build and develop them, in the fields of economy and business, culture and education. “Germany has traditionally been Debrecen’s most important partner, and is still the most important source of capital, knowledge and technology flowing into the city, “ he added.
“In our business relations, we have focused on creating a business environment that makes Debrecen an attractive investment destination, and to this end we have transformed our education system, in addition to a number of infrastructure investments (industrial parks, utilities, transport). The ISD (International School of Debrecen) and the Deutsche Grundschule Debrecen are already in operation and educate hundreds of students, and we have established and are establishing new courses at the university and the vocational training centre to bring the knowledge and skills of Debrecen students as close as possible to the job requirements of German investors,” he said.
The mayor believes that, as well as the joy and pride, such an award also comes with a responsibility.
“It is recognition of our efforts so far, but it also calls for further improvements in many areas of life in our city. We cannot sit back, but must continue together on the path we have begun, so that all the improvements we have begun are realised. The airport needs to be expanded to accommodate the future growth in traffic needs, including daily commuting to Germany,” he stressed.
Source:debrecen.hu
