Editing LÃ¡szlÃ³ KovÃ¡cs

[[Category:ICD_Advisory_Board_Members]]
[[File:The Hon. László Kovács.jpg|400px|thumbnail|left]]

László Kovács, was born on July 3, 1939, in Budapest, Hungary. He is a Hungarian Politician and Diplomat, who served as the Foreign Minister two times, once from 1994 to 1998 and the second from 2002 to 2004, as well as serving as the former European Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union. 

== Political Career ==

In the year 1963, László Kovács joined the Hungarian Socialists Worker’s Party (MSZMP). Two years after, he became involved with the Communist Youth Association. In 1975, he worked for the Foreign Affairs Department of the Hungarian Socialists Worker’s Party (MSZMP). Kovács became the Deputy Director for the Foreign Affairs Department of the (MSZMP) from 1983 to 1986. He then became the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs in 1986. Three years later, he became the State Secretary of Foreign Affairs until 1990. He is one of the founders of the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) in 1989. From 1990 to 1993, he was a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Hungarian Parliament. For one year, he was the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Hungarian Parliament in 1993. The year after, he became the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1994 to 1998. From 1996 to 2003, he was the Co-Chairman of the Central and East European Committee of the Socialist International. Kovács was the party chairman of the Hungarian Socialist Party from 1998 to 2004. During that time, he was re-elected as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2002 to 2004. He resigned his position as Party Chairman of the (MSZP), and was appointed the European Commissioner for the Taxation and Customs Union from 2004 to 2010. 

== Education ==

László Kovács attended the Lajos Petrick Vocational School for Chemistry from 1953 to 1957. From 1963 to 1968, he studied at the Karl Marx University of Economics in Budapest. 

== Special Achievements ==
László Kovács played a key role in Hungary's transition to a market economy, serving as a member of the Foreign Affairs committee during the collapse of the Hungarian communist government. 

== Learn More ==
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ge6M9Tz7PU The Role of Cultural Diplomacy and the Political Culture in Diplomacy]

[http://www.culturaldiplomacy.org/academy/index.php?laszlo-kovacs-1 ICD]

== References ==
[http://ec.europa.eu/archives/commission_2004-2009/kovacs/my_profile/index_en.htm European Commission]
[http://www.cd-n.org/index.php?interview-with-laszlo-kovacs-european-commissioner-for-taxation-and-customs-union-and-former-minister-of-foreign-affairs-of-hungary ICD Interview]