Minister: we do not want more NATO troops in Hungary – UPDATED

In our former article, we reported on the discussions to deploy troops to Eastern European NATO countries to show support amidst the current threat of Russia invading Ukraine. Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary were considering accepting the incoming troops then. However, not all NATO members approved the idea initiated by the United States and the United Kingdom, among other countries.

• Read also: Hungary’s NATO membership is not up for debate

Why was Szijjártó in Lyon?

Péter Szijjártó stated at the time that it is in Hungary’s interest for Ukraine to be a strong and stable state. At the same time, according to the minister, it is also in Hungary’s interest that Ukraine

stops its anti-Hungarian politics.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Szijjártó inaugurated a Hungarian consular office in Lyon on Wednesday. He said that the new consulate will facilitate that some 20,000 Hungarians living in the region could participate in Hungary’s upcoming parliamentary election. Hungary used to have a consulate in Lyon from 1987 on, but the previous, Socialist government “closed it down in a big wave of such closures,” Szijjártó said, adding that the incumbent government had reopened most of those facilities since then, increasing the number of Hungarian representation worldwide to over 130.

“You cannot make foreign policy, convince investors, capture export markets, and represent the interest of Hungarians (abroad) sitting in Budapest,”

he highlighted.

UPDATE (02.11. 11.51)

24.hu reported that though no additional NATO troops would come to Hungary, military convoys would go through the country. They will enter from Slovakia and depart towards Romania carrying equipment and people.

Here is a segment of Szijjártó’s interview with Euronews about accepting more NATO troops:

UPDATE – here is the interview:

Source: Euronews, DNH