Hungarian foreign minister: UN General Assembly should be platform to push for peace in Ukraine

How does the Hungarian Foreign Minister intend to achieve peace?

The world should use the United Nations General Assembly as a platform to promote peace in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in New York on Monday.

This is the position that the Hungarian government will represent throughout the week, including Monday’s EU Foreign Affairs Council session, the foreign ministry cited Szijjártó as saying.

The focus should be on achieving peace rather than on deepening and escalating the conflict, he said.

Szijjártó said the war in Ukraine meant that this year’s UN General Assembly was being held under “extraordinary circumstances”. The impact of the conflict is felt worldwide, for instance, in the form of the uncertainties around energy supply and rampant inflation, he said.

Hungary’s interest lies in the quickest possible end to the conflict, Szijjarto said, adding that peace was the solution to all the problems and challenges faced by Hungary, Europe and the world.

This requires an immediate ceasefire and peace talks, for which there is no more appropriate forum than the UN, the minister said.

“Everyone is present in the United Nations,” he said.

“Every difficult issue can be discussed here, as even the leaders of countries with hostile relations are present at the same time.”

He said the world should take advantage of the opportunity presented by the General Assembly session, arguing that the war could only end through negotiations.