Government working to reinforce cooperation with neighbours, says foreign minister
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Hungary is now working to deepen its alliance with “most of its neighbours which used to be enemies”, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told parliament’s national cohesion committee on Thursday.
Ukraine, he added however, has “elevated its stance against Hungarian communities to government level”.
Speaking at his annual hearing, Szijjártó said that “it is clear that close cooperation rather than isolation is in the interest of all countries of the Carpathian Basin,” adding that both Hungarian communities in other countries and other ethnic minorities in Hungary were crucial for that cooperation.
The aim is for all countries cooperating with Hungary to have an interest in “our successes, just as we have an interest in the successes of those cooperating with us.”
“The Carpathian Basin’s fortune rests on mutual interest in our respective successes,” Szijjártó said.
Szijjártó said the resources should be provided to Hungarian national communities across the border so they may find their own way to strengthen themselves.
A 60 billion forint investment support scheme is available to Hungarian companies. Fully 465 companies have applied for funding and firms planning cross-border investments have lodged bids for projects worth 110 billion in total. As a result, 7,400 jobs will be preserved and 3,000 new ones created, he added.
Further, companies making investments and creating jobs in Hungarian-inhabited areas have access to government funds worth 63.5 billion forints.
Serbia, he said, saw the potential in strengthening the Hungarian national community in Vojvodina, with a commensurate positive impact on Hungary-Serbia ties. Serbia’s minority policy may be seen as an example to other EU countries, he added.
Reinforcing cooperation with neighbours when the globe on the Hungarian PM’s desk shows the pre-WWI borders and a “greater Hungary” which in fact never actually existed? Another ridiculous statement by the ridiculous FM of a ridiculous illiberal regime. Homo orbanicus,&co. set your mindframe to the world of XXI century and you’ll have a chance to be taken serious. If not, you’ll remain what you are: the joke and the embarassment of Europe.