Hungarian President: Aim is to secure long-term peace

After meeting Visegrád Group (V4) counterparts on Tuesday in Bratislava, President Katalin Novák said a common aim was to secure a “just peace” and ensure “long-term peace” in Europe.

At the meeting, the V4 heads of state condemned the attack on Ukraine and the attacks against civilians, Novák noted at a press conference. Commenting on the statement issued at Poland’s initiative, she said eleven heads of state had joined in condemning the Russian bombing of Ukrainian cities, considered a war crime under international law.

Commenting on the energy crisis, Novák called the recent attacks against the Nord Stream gas pipelines “unacceptable”. The V4 demands a thorough and swift investigation with a view to preventing any further similar attacks, she said.

Read also: No end in sight: another prestigious Hungarian hotel closes

Regarding illegal migration, the president noted that V4 countries were particularly affected. Almost 200,000 illegal migrants were stopped at Hungary’s southern border this year, she noted, adding that a strong, common response was needed to handle the pressure of illegal migration.

She also noted Hungarians had from the first day of the war provided shelter and other aid to refugees from Ukraine.