Hungarian foreign minister: Brussels, the EU poses danger for Europe!

These days Brussels poses a danger, while Cairo provides protection for Europe when it comes to migration, Hungary’s foreign minister said in the Egyptian capital on Tuesday, underlining the importance of supporting Egypt in bolstering the protection of its borders.

Dialogue between Hungary and Egypt is always of strategic importance, which is especially important “in an era of dangers”, Péter Szijjártó told a joint press conference with Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty.

“Both countries are located in the direct vicinity of ongoing armed conflicts, and we are both confronted with the challenges posed by mass illegal migration,” Szijjártó said. “We want to live in security, for which two things are necessary: an urgent end to the wars affecting our regions and that the migration waves affecting our regions can be stopped as soon as possible.”

Szijjártó pointed out that Egypt played a crucial role in both areas. “Egypt is a very important guarantor of European security, a bastion of Europe’s north African line of defence.”

He expressed Hungary’s “great appreciation” of Egypt’s role in stopping migration. “We greatly appreciate that there’s no migration pressure on Europe from Egypt’s direction. If Egypt … allowed migrants to pass through its territory, Europe would face a very difficult migration wave,” he added.

Brussels poses a danger, while Cairo provides protection for Europe

“It’s strange but today it appears that Brussels poses a danger, while Cairo provides protection for Europe when it comes to migration,” Szijjártó said. “Europe protects Europe from illegal migrants, while Brussels is aggravating the migrant crisis in Europe with its flawed policy.”

Szijjártó urged the European Union to transfer the financial support from the European Peace Facility earmarked for bolstering Egypt’s border protection in accordance with the agreement signed in June, noting that the north African country has a 5,000km border to protect.

He said allies like Egypt were also important because Africa’s population is projected to grow by 750 million over the next 20 years. “And this will result in either a horrible humanitarian disaster or record-high migration pressure,” he said, adding that the EU should draft a comprehensive development strategy for Africa in order to avert this.

Szijjártó said Hungary and Egypt were both part of the “global pro-peace majority”, and the two countries were in agreement that though they had nothing to do with the war in Ukraine, they were both forced to pay the price of the conflict in the form of soaring inflation.

“Weapons deliveries definitely won’t end the war,” Szijjártó said, adding that both Hungary and Egypt were calling for an urgent ceasefire and peace talks.

Szijjártó said preventing escalation and a spread of the conflict in the Middle East was also a shared interest of Hungary and Egypt. “We thank Egypt for its stabilising role in this respect and ask that they continue their efforts to ensure the release of the hostages because there is still a Hungarian citizen among Hamas’s captives,” he added.

Same technology nuclear power plant

Meanwhile, he announced that Hungary and Egypt have signed an agreement under which the two countries’ authorities will hold regular consultations on nuclear developments, noting that Egypt is building a nuclear power plant with the same technology that Hungary is.

He said that since Egypt was farther ahead in the construction of its nuclear plant, Hungary expects that the experience gained by Egypt can help accelerate the upgrade of its own Paks plant. He also said Hungary expected that Egypt would take into consideration certain internationally recognised Hungarian technologies in the construction of its nuclear plant.

Szijjártó also welcomed that Hungary’s 4iG is preparing the construction of a submarine telecommunication cable between Albania and Egypt as well as a fiber network that will reach 6 million households.

Also, the delivery of Hungarian-made railway carriages from Egypt’s rolling stock order is ongoing, with only 374 of the 1,350 carriages ordered left to be delivered, Szijjártó said. He also noted that Hungary last year exported some 19,000 to Egypt.

The minister said the executives of 23 companies will hold 266 meetings with 104 Egyptian partners on Tuesday.

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