Hungarian minister calls on UN to help de-escalate tensions in Middle East

The United Nations must take steps to ease tensions in the Middle East and contribute to efforts aimed at resolving the US-Iran conflict as soon as possible, Hungary’s foreign minister said in New York during a debate marking the organisation’s 75th anniversary.

Hungary is clearly concerned about developments in the Middle East and has an interest the de-escalation of the conflict, Péter Szijjártó said.

He said

the Hungarian government expected the United Nations, as the largest international organisation in charge of ensuring peace and security around the world, “to do its real job” instead of acting as a “self-appointed advocate of migration”.

Szijjártó said Europe’s security closely depended on security in the Middle East. “Certain adverse developments in the Middle East may increase migration pressure on our continent which should be avoided,” Szijjártó said, adding that

keeping up the global fight against terrorism and preventing the spread of nuclear weapons were also important aims.

• Defence minister in talks with commander of Hungarian troops in Iraq

Szijjártó will meet Pham Binh Minh, his Vietnamese counterpart. Vietnam currently holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council. He will also meet Urmas Reinsalu, his Estonian counterpart. Estonia is a Security Council member until mid-2021.

Another meeting is scheduled with Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary for the new United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office.

Source: mti