President Tamás Sulyok told a conference in Szeged, in southern Hungary, on Thursday that nothing and no one can take precedence over the protection of children, emphasising that children were "a blessing for the nation, the homeland, the family and all created people".
In a keynote speech at the Csongrád-Csanád County Government Office’s conference on child protection, President Sulyok said Hungarians were a "family-centric" nation, and children were "the most cherished treasure of the family".
"They are the guarantors of the Hungarian nation’s survival, they are the ones that will follow in our footsteps, continue our work, and hopefully correct our mistakes as well," the president said.
He said there could be no greater goal than ensuring a "protective and inspiring environment" for all children to help them become "happy and balanced" adults.
President Sulyok said the protection of children transcended national interests, and caring for them was the most basic human inclination.
"Child protection is a community matter; our community’s," the present said, adding that it was everyone’s responsibility because children needed role models.
He said the work of child protection experts and staff was "indispensable", and the importance of their service "cannot be put into words".