Defence minister: Western Balkans stability ‘extremely important’ for Hungary

Photo: Gergely Botár/kormany.hu

Hungary regards peace, stability and security in the Western Balkans as “extremely important”, Hungary’s defence minister said on Wednesday in Sarajevo, where he handed over a donation of 1,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to local civilians serving at the EUFOR camp.

Tibor Benkő said the Hungarian government’s assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina contributed to the country’s security.

EUFOR Commander Alexander Platzer noted that whereas most peacekeeping soldiers at the had already received jabs, civilians working in the camp hadn’t. Hungary quickly responded to their request for help, he added.

Mijo Kresic, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s deputy minister for defence, said the donation was a sign of the deepening of “outstanding” relations between the two countries.

Benkő noted that the vaccination rate within Hungary’s army was 85 percent and that around 7,000 soldiers and military personnel had been infected during the epidemic, while 14 soldiers and personnel died.

Hungary backs Lithuania’s fight against illegal immigration

Hungary supports Lithuania in the protection of its borders against illegal immigrants, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Vilnius, pointing out that Lithuania was protecting the European Union’s external borders.

“Lithuania is now facing the same serious challenge that Hungary faced in 2015 when hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants violated our southern border and with it our sovereignty,” Szijjártó said.

He added that illegal migration now also carried the risk of the spread of the coronavirus.