Navracsics On Gaza Conflict, Restructuring, Ukraine

Budapest, July 17 (MTI) – Hungary’s foreign minister discussed the Gaza conflict, Hungarian plans to restructure its foreign missions and the situation in Ukraine, in an radio interview on today.

Tibor Navracsics, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, told Kossuth radio that the Gaza conflict would be on the agenda of a meeting of EU foreign ministers next week. Like its European partners, Hungary’s wants the two sides to move towards a peaceful settlement as quickly as possible, Navracsics said. This current conflict “hints at a very gloomy future” and is unsustainable, he said.

Regarding Hungary’s diplomatic missions abroad, Navracsics said the planned restructuring served to ensure that “not a single Hungarian person is left without protection in the world.” It also aims to streamline the use of Hungarian taxpayers’ money, he added. In some countries Hungary needs a stronger presence and in others “indirect” representation is sufficient. Its Helsinki embassy will subsume its “near-by” Tallinn one, for example and the Hungarian Institute in the Estonian capital will see to cultural diplomacy. Similarly, its Athens embassy will take the Nicosia one under its wing, he said.

But to serve external economic policy goals, Hungary will open new embassies in Quito and Ulan Bator, he said. He also noted plans to open consulates in Targu Mures (Marosvasarhely) and Oradea (Nagyvarad) which request has however been rejected by Romania without any explanation.

Concerning the crisis in Ukraine, Navracsics said he held talks with his Polish counterpart in Warsaw on Monday with the aim of finding a common platform that allows the Visegrad Group to take effective action.

Photo: MTI – Lajos Soós

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters