Hungarian FM: Hungary, Australia on same page on migration

Hungary and Australia are “in full agreement” on the issue of migration, the need to tackle the issue at its roots and for strong border protections, and that it is crucial for countries to preserve their sovereignty and security, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said after talks with Julie Bishop, his Australian counterpart, in Budapest on Thursday.

Australia’s weight on the global political and economic stage is continuously growing, so the European Union, central Europe and Hungary have an interest in deepening relations with that country, Szijjártó told a press conference he held jointly with Bishop.

The minister said that last week the framework agreement between the EU and Australia aimed at deepening cooperation was submitted to parliament for ratification. Hungary is set to become the third EU member state to ratify the document when the new parliament approves it after the spring election, he said.

Szijjártó noted that the EU and Australia are preparing to start talks on a free trade agreement. Hungary firmly supports starting the talks as soon as possible, he said.

Hungary has a competitive economy with the lowest taxes in the EU, Szijjártó said. It is a leading EU member state in terms of productivity, so “overall we have nothing to be afraid of” when it comes to the talks, Szijjártó said. He added, however, that “national sensitivities” would have to be taken into consideration.

He said Hungary and Australia are both committed to the fight against terrorism. Their troops are fighting and will continue to fight together against the Islamic State terrorist organisation in Iraq, he added.

Szijjártó said he and Bishop had also discussed the United Nations’ global migration package. Hungary considers the package’s premise that migration is a positive and unstoppable phenomenon “unacceptable”, Szijjártó said, arguing that migration is “bad, dangerous and must be stopped”.