Hungarian FM Szijjártó: Peaceful coexistence of national, religious communities vital
The peaceful coexistence between national and religious communities is vitally important, and minority rights are very important in this respect, so the United Nations must pay special attention to them, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Friday.
The foreign ministry cited Szijjártó telling a United Nations Alliance of Civilizations meeting in New York that armed conflicts were underway in some thirty locations around the world, with the threat of terrorism on the increase, and waves of illegal migration representing risks.
The UN initiative now has a special significance, because it is vitally important to ensure the peaceful coexistence of national and religious communities, he added. Hungary is proud of the history of its Christian state and feels responsibility for Christian communities around the world, he said. Christians are the most persecuted community in the world, with some 365 million Christians living in places where they are subject to persecution or attacks by terrorist organisations, he added.
The Hungarian government has set up an agency with the special purpose of supporting these communities, which has carried out 368 programmes in 64 countries with a total value of 110 million dollars, he said. Some two million people have been affected by the programmes which involved the rebuilding of churches and helping the operation of hospitals and schools in order to ensure that no Christians are forced to leave their homes, he added.
He said Hungary showed a good example of the peaceful coexistence of national and religious communities. Budapest is a good example, as “Central Europe’s largest Catholic cathedral and one of Europe’s largest synagogues are practically within walking distance,” Szijjártó said. He also said that participants in Jewish festivals or visitors around synagogues “don’t need to face security guards armed to the teeth.”
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