Visiting Hungarian leader Karoly Grosz was slated to hold discussions Sunday night with Edgar Bronfman, president of the World Jewish Congress.
The Hungarian leader, who is halfway through his American visit — the first by a head of an Eastern bloc Moscow ally in 10 years was to hold talks over dinner at Bronfman’s Manhattan apartment.
“This certainly is a strengthening of relations between Hungary and world Jewry, the Hungarian Jewish community and the State of Israel,” said Elan Steinberg, executive director of the WJC.
Steinberg, who was scheduled to be present at the dinner along with Israel Singer, WJC secretary-general, said that the Hungarian and WJC leaders “would definitely be discussing steps toward further elevating the diplomatic level of relationship between Hungary and Israel.”
The WJC was instrumental in negotiating the visit to Hungary earlier this month of World Zionist Organization-Jewish Agency Executive Chairman Simcha Dinitz, who met with Hungarian government officials following his unprecedented official appearance at a ground-breaking ceremony for a Holocaust memorial.
Hungary, taking its cue from the Soviet Union, broke off relations with Israel following the 1967 Six-Day War.
Grosz, who replaced longtime Hungarian Communist Party Secretary Janos Kadar on May 22, has come to the United States to seek better trade relations and attract American business interest in Hungary.
The Hungarian leader has already met with President Reagan, Vice President George Bush, Treasury Secretary James Baker and Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan.
Grosz last met with Bronfman at the end of last summer as prime minister of Hungary.
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