The new FUEN Berlin office has opened

The Federal Union of European Nationalities has moved into a new office in Berlin, which they share with other organizations committed to the protection of minority rights: the Youth of European Nationalities (YEN) and the Society for Threatened Peoples International. On this occasion, they have invited their partners, supporters and friends to join us on 20 February 2020, to celebrate the official opening of our new bureau in Berlin Charlottenburg (Kaiser Friedrich-Straße 90).

Among the invitees were Hungarian Ambassador in Germany Dr. Péter Györkös, State Secretary Ingbert Liebing, Plenipotentiary of the State of Schleswig-Holstein to the Federal Government, State Secretary Tobias Dünow, State Representative for Sorb / Wendish Affairs and Former Federal Government Commissioner for Resettlers and National Minorities, Former State Secretary Hartmut Koschyk. FUEN was represented by the FUEN Presidium, former members of the Presidium and several staff members.

In his speech FUEN President Loránt Vincze pointed out that minority rights are human rights, and strong organizations are needed to fight for that. “FUEN not only has offices in Flensburg, Berlin and Brussels, but we are at home in every European state and region where minority groups live” – he said.

In his keynote speech Mr. Hartmut Koschyk, former Minority commissioner of Germany said that a strong civil society that  worries about those people who have no equal rights is a true peacekeeping policy. He accentuated the importance of the Minority SafePack Initiative for all national minorities and reiterated his strong support for the initiative and his hope that the German Government is also going to support it.

All three organizations presented their work and activities and also their staff memebrs from the Berlin office. FUEN Secretary General Éva Pénzes presented the MSPI and EUROPEADA as the key projects for 2020.

The music at the event was performed by Norma Schulz, a Frisian Musician who sings in Frisian language. A Silent Minute for the victims of the terror attack in Hanau, Germany, was held at the event.