Foreign minister urges closer EU-NATO cooperation over migration crisis

Brussels, May 20 (MTI) – Cooperation between the European Union and NATO is “more necessary than ever” because Europe’s security is seriously impacted by the migration crisis, Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s foreign minister, said after a meeting of his NATO counterparts in Brussels on Friday.

The migration crisis equals a major increase in the terrorist threat in Europe while public security has worsened, Szijjártó insisted.

Szijjártó said that “thousands of uncontrolled entries each day” have given terrorist organisations the opportunity to send their members to Europe, the consequences of which “we have seen”, he said.

Meanwhile, Szijjártó said Hungary is ready to maintain its current military presence in Afghanistan to ensure stability there.

Szijjártó said a large proportion of migrants are from Afghanistan, where the political situation is still unstable. He also noted that the original plan for NATO was to stay in Afghanistan until 2016, but foreign ministers of the organisation have proposed prolonging the mission for another four years. Otherwise, he said, further masses could set off and migrate to Europe.

Photo: MTI

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters