During a small ceremony held after the Thursday Holy Mass on 1 February at the house of the Order in Budapest,H.E. Dr. Heinz Anton Hafner, Ambassador of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta to Hungary, presented the Officer’s Cross Pro Merito Melitensi to Béla Ugron, First Secretary of the Embassy, Knight Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion, in a small ceremony.

In his award speech, the Ambassador said that the life of the awardee had been defined by three important areas: his family, his engineering profession and his work for the Order of Malta. In most countries there are three organisations under the Maltese Cross: the Order of Malta, the Charity Service and the Embassy. Béla Ugron has done important and selfless work in all three areas over the decades – and continues to do so today.  Béla Ugron was one of the first Hungarian members of the Hungarian Association of Knights of Malta, when it returned to Hungary after the regime change. He has done and continues to do charitable work in three important areas: in Hungary, Transylvania and Transcarpathia. Dr. Hafner is the fourth Ambassador in a row who can count on Béla Ugron’s work, now as First secretary. The award is given as a thank you, this time primarily for his wide-ranging diplomatic activities.

Bela Ugron’s large family was also present at the ceremony. He emphasised in his thank-you speech that, although he was the recipient of the award, at least half of the thanks went to his wife, who had been a support to him in his work for the Order of Malta, steadily taking on additional family responsibilities.