Hungary stands up for peace at the UN General Assembly, but not for Palestine

Hungary continues to stand for peace, dialogue, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister said in New York on Monday, adding that the country opposed all forms of terrorism.

Hungary has borne the consequences of the war in Ukraine for more than two years and protected the external borders of the European Union against illegal migration, bound “in a vicious circle” with terrorism, Szijjártó told the UN General Assembly, according to a ministry statement.

Given these immediate security challenges, Hungary “is committed to peace, diplomacy, continuous global dialogue, and is against all forms of terrorism,” he said.

He expressed Hungary’s mounting concern over the conflict in the Middle East, saying the longer the conflict lasted, the greater the risk of its spreading. The minister added that Hamas “must be defeated”.

Szijjártó emphasised the importance of preventing the formation of a Lebanese front in the conflict, adding that the Beirut government, which wanted nothing to do with it, deserved maximum support from the international community.

He also said the delivery of humanitarian aid should be guaranteed to ensure that innocent people do not suffer the consequences of the brutal crimes of terrorists, calling on states and international organisations to do whatever possible to achieve this.

The minister praised Egypt in this regard. He also noted that Hungary provided more than 9 million US dollars to support its health system.

On the subject of the hostage situation, he urged the immediate, unconditional release of hostages, and expressed gratitude to Qatar for mediating in the release of three Hungarian hostages. He asked Qatar to carry on its efforts to ensure the quickest possible release of the other hostages, details HERE.

A sensible agreement was needed between the opposing parties before the start of Ramadan, he added.

Meanwhile, he said Hungary was “a strategic partner of Israel” while also keeping strong ties with Arab countries in the region. “As a responsible country, Hungary is ready to play its part in finding an appropriate solution to security crises worldwide,” he added.