Hungarian FM met with UN leaders in New York to urge peace negotiations

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó is meeting with United Nations leaders in New York on Saturday to discuss how the UN can contribute to bringing Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table in the interest of peace.

In an interview with public news channel M1, Szijjártó said he will meet UN General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid and Under-Secretary-General Rosemary A DiCarlo during the day.

Szijjártó told the channel he would ask the UN leaders to intercede with the Russians in the interest of starting negotiations with the Ukrainians to achieve peace as soon as possible.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó at UN Headquarters in New York
Photo: Facebook.com/szijjarto.peter.official

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He confirmed that he had called Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, to tell them that Hungary and Budapest is prepared to host delegations from both sides and ensure a place for talks.

Both sides acknowledged the offer, and neither rejected it for the time being, Szijjártó added.

The foreign minister said so far one ethnic Hungarian has been killed in Ukraine, and support is being offered to the victim’s family.

A convoy of “a few dozen” people, including civilians, embassy staff, journalists and employees of two international organisations are on their way from Kyiv to Hungary, he said.

: Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó at UN Headquarters in New York Photo: Facebook.com/szijjarto.peter.official

: Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó at UN Headquarters in New York Photo: Facebook.com/szijjarto.peter.official

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Szijjártó said waits were long at Hungary’s border crossings with Ukraine in the morning, with a line of 250-300 cars in Záhony and tailbacks of 300 metres in Lónya, 3.5 km in Beregsurány and 2 km in Barabás.

All five of the crossings along Hungary’s border with Ukraine are operating fully staffed, he added.

After assisting a group of students from the Maldives on Friday, ten Jordanians got help crossing the border, and the evacuation of 950 Indian students is underway, with 240 already in the territory of Hungary, he said.

Hungary has also received requests for assistance from Turkmenistan, Ecuador, Mongolia, Armenia, Turkey and the Philippines to help their citizens return home from Ukraine, he added.