Anixneuseis

 John F. Kennedy said that Oct. 23, 1956, is a day “that will live forever in the annals of free men and nations.” He continued: “It
was a day of courage, conscience and triumph. No other day since history began has shown more clearly the eternal unquenchability of
man’s desire to be free, whatever the odds against success, whatever the sacrifice required.”

 That was the day the Hungarian people rose up against the Soviet-controlled regime and were crushed by Soviet tanks and troops. But
it created a tear in the Iron Curtain, which finally came down in 1989 when Hungary destroyed the barbed-wire fence separating it
from Austria.

 Sacramento native Eleni Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis now heads to Budapest as U.S. ambassador to Hungary. She is well suited to the role,
both as an accomplished businesswoman and philanthropist.

 Diplomacy is not foreign to her; she served as a California state world trade commissioner and has been active in the World Council
of Religions for Peace. Her husband, Markos Kounalakis, publisher of Washington Monthly, was a foreign correspondent who covered the
fall of communism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.

 She has her work cut out for her. Hungary has been a reliable ally of the United States. But while Western European countries have
been captivated by the new U.S. administration, Eastern European countries have been more cautious, fearing that the United States
may be diminishing engagement in the east.

 Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis can make a real difference in people-to-people diplomacy.

 And here we have an idea. How about creating a sister-city relationship between Budapest, the capital of Hungary, and Sacramento,
the capital of California? Both have long sister-city histories with other cities Sacramento since 1961, Budapest since 1990.

 A key part of diplomacy is building understanding and friendship through educational, cultural and business exchange. A
Budapest-Sacramento sister-city relationship could be a small part of that.

 Source: The Sacramento Bee