FM Szijjártó: Hungary’s diplomacy under pressure
Hungary’s foreign policy will “stay Hungarian and sovereign,” Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told ambassadors on Monday, adding that the Hungarian government “will not give in to any international pressure” and keep national interests in its focus.
Speaking at an annual conference for Hungarian diplomats, Szijjártó said the government’s primary focus was to ensure Hungary’s security and development amid “Europe’s gravest economic and security challenges of all times”.
Szijjártó suggested the government’s measures “will certainly run contrary to the expectations of the international liberal mainstream” and “diplomats need to be prepared to do their work under great international pressure”. “Luckily, we are used to that,” he added.
The minister said he expected “especially great pressure” in two areas. One of them is the war in Ukraine, which is “not Hungary’s war”, he said. At the same time, he added that the government condemned the war and supported Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
“We are not responsible and nobody could demand that we should pay the price,” he insisted. “We continue to refuse to participate (in the conflict),” he added.
Concerning Ukraine’s “seriously curbing” Hungarian education for ethnic kin, Szijjártó said that the Hungarian government had voiced its concerns but “our allies, our friends, our EU peers would not recognise the problem”.
“As long as Ukraine refuses to restore the rights of the Hungarian community, we cannot support its accession talks to be launched with the European Union,” he said.
Szijjártó also said communication channels with Russia should be kept open, “or else even the hope for peace will disappear”. Hungary will not terminate its crucial energy agreements, either, he added.
Meanwhile, Szijjártó said Hungary had become “a meeting point between western and eastern investment”. “Here again, we will face great pressure, because we are not the only country that wants those investments,” he said. Some countries in western Europe are also eyeing those projects and “they will say all kinds of things about us … they will say we must stop economic cooperation with China, naturally because they would want … to attract those projects offering jobs to many thousands and tens of thousands of people,” he said.
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The reality is that at the present time Hungarian “diplomacy” sucks. Hungary is not on friendly terms with the EU. Hungary is not on friendly terms with the US. Hungary is not even doing great with the V4 countries. Many in NATO do not trust Hungary.
Perhaps our Politicians can convince Mr. Putin and his cronies and toadies to be “Pro Peace” ?
Re China, but equally applicable to any other country, to quote Mr. Cleverly (British Foreign Secretary and hardly a Liberal Elite whatnot). He said the UK wanted to maintain an economic relationship with China, but added: “National security comes first and if there is ever a situation where our security concerns are at odd with our economic concerns, our security concerns win out.”
Not hearing this from our Politicians. Very worrisome.
Orban – has SMASHED all relationships with the European Union, NATO – all country’s that are Governments of DEMOCRACY.
Hungary’s name our reputation – the RESPECT that we gained over vastness in time – SMASHED by the Orban – Political ideas & philosophies.
Democracy is DIALOGUE and Orban has DESTROYED this “Core” of Democracy, that places us as a country, in the deepening UGLY place factually we are to-day.