Title 22, Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-110

§5492 Declaration of the Republic of Hungary

Title 22 › CHAPTER 63 — SUPPORT FOR EAST EUROPEAN DEMOCRACY (SEED) › SUBCHAPTER VII — MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS › § 5492

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Congress congratulates the people of Hungary on the October 23, 1989 declaration that Hungary is an independent, democratic republic. That ceremony was on the 33rd anniversary of the 1956 revolution, which Soviet troops crushed. It took place in Kossuth Square, from the same balcony where Imre Nagy spoke in 1956. Congress notes that the 1956 revolt inspired many Americans and that Hungary’s current work to become free, independent, and prosperous has U.S. sympathy. Congress also seeks closer ties between the people and governments of the United States and Hungary.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §5492

Foreign Relations and Intercourse, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Findings

The Congress finds that—

(1)on October 23, 1989, in a public ceremony in Budapest, the acting President of Hungary declared the Hungarian state to be an independent, democratic Republic of Hungary;

(2)this public ceremony was held on the 33d anniversary of Hungary’s 1956 revolution that was bloodily suppressed by Soviet troops;

(3)this public ceremony was held in the same Kossuth Square where the first mass rally of the 1956 revolution was held;

(4)as a further symbol of Hungary’s faithfulness to the legacy of the revolution of 1956, the declaration by the acting President was made from the same balcony from which Imre Nagy, the martyred Prime Minister of the revolutionary government of 1956, addressed the citizens of Budapest 33 years before;

(5)the heroic revolt and freedom fight of the Hungarian people in 1956 was an inspirational event, reminding a generation of Americans of the sacrifices people are willing to undertake as the price of liberty; and

(6)the present efforts of the Hungarian people to validate the legacy of the revolution of 1956 by establishing a free, independent, and prosperous Hungary have gained the sympathy and admiration of the American people.

(b)Congressional declarations

The Congress—

(1)congratulates the people of Hungary on the declaration of a Republic of Hungary committed to democratic principles; and

(2)expresses its desire to enhance the friendly relations between the people of Hungary and the people of the United States and between their respective governments.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 5492

Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110