Hungary fully supports Moldova’s EU integration

 The Hungarian governmet will provide “every assistance” to Moldova’s endeavours to join the European Union, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Chisinau on Wednesday.

Following talks with his Moldovan counterpart Nicu Popescu, Szijjártó highligthed the geopolitical appreciation of the Eastern Partnership programme, and urged the earliest enlargement of the EU as well as promoting closer ties with countries in the region.

The foreign ministry quoted Szijjártó as noting the “strong positions” of Hungarian retail bank OTP and pharma Richter in Moldova’s markets, adding that bilateral trade had posted a record 200 million euros last year.

Meanwhile, Szijjártó regretted that WizzAir had temporarily suspended its operations in Moldova, and said he hoped services would be resumed “once security quarantees are in place”. The governments of Hungary and Moldova are both interested in having a direct flight between their capitals and “would like to convince WizzAir to return as soon as possible,” he said.

Szijjártó also said the Hungarian government supported a roaming-fee agreement between the EU and Moldova, which would “also strengthen connections”.

On another subject, Szijjártó said NATO members would not be reimbursed for earlier contributions aimed to finance the Afghan military, and expressed the Hungarian government’s wish to use some of the funds, HUF 120 million (EUR 322,000), to strengthen the security of Moldova. He said Moldova was situated “on the eastern border of the European Political Community, therefore we are mutually interested in each other’s security.”