ASTANA – One of the streets in the Kazakh capital was officially named after the renowned Hungarian poet, Sándor Petőfi, at a Nov. 2 opening ceremony attended by Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu and Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, reported the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service.
Murat Nurtleu and Péter Szijjártó at the opening ceremony of the street named after renowned Hungarian poet Sándor Petőfi. Photo credit: gov.kz.
Nurtleu said naming a street after the Hungarian national poet during the year of his 200th anniversary holds great symbolism and will contribute significantly to strengthening friendly relations and fostering cultural exchange between the two countries.
Szijjártó expressed gratitude to the Kazakh government for this honor bestowed upon the Hungarian poet, calling this act, which was taken during the official visit of Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban to Kazakhstan, a profound sign of respect from the Kazakh people towards Hungary.
“Sándor Petőfi was a genius known for his passion for freedom, and this sense of freedom is also inherent in you,” he said.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev made the decision to rename the street after the Hungarian poet. Budapest, the capital of Hungary, named a street after the great Kazakh poet Abai Kunanbaiuly in June 2014.
Sándor Petőfi is an outstanding cultural figure, national poet, and a prominent advocate for Hungary’s independence. He made a considerable contribution to forming an independent and democratic Hungary. His works are widely known worldwide and have been translated into numerous languages.
During a meeting of Nurtleu and Szijjártó, the parties reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the strategic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Hungary. They particularly emphasized the increasing political dialogue between the two countries, explored opportunities for intensifying trade, economic, and investment cooperation, and discussed the prospects for further collaboration in education.
