She thanked “for the kindness and friendship” she and her family had received in Hungary. “I will miss serving in this position, but will continue my commitment to building stronger ties between our two countries,” she added.

She said she will be saying her farewells, both formally and informally, over the next couple of weeks.

Commenting on the announcement, the foreign ministry’s press chief said the outgoing ambassador had played a crucial role in improving political ties between Hungary and the United States.

Tamás Menczer noted that Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto had indicated on multiple occasions that Hungary greatly appreciated Bell’s work. Hungary will welcome and cooperate with the new US ambassador, too, Menczer added.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.