Orbán cabinet takes further steps to rebuild trust with Ukraine

The Hungarian government has taken further steps in recent weeks “so that we can again talk about mutual trust in Hungary-Ukraine relations,” the foreign minister said on Facebook late on Wednesday.

Péter Szijjártó mentioned, for example, changes to the interstate agreement on border crossing, adding that the changes would help eliminate “unfair” situations at the border between the two countries. “We are looking forward to tomorrow’s meeting of the Hungarian-Ukrainian education team with hope, since the most important task is to restore the rights of the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia to education and the use of their mother tongue,” the minister said.

Referring to an infrastructure development project at Fenyeslitke crossing station, Szijjártó said it would facilitate reloading an annual one million containers or three million tonnes of grain and cooking oil, which could “contribute to maintaining Ukraine’s exports to Europe”.

Photo: FB/Szijjártó

In another Facebook entry Szijjártó mentioned Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, and said “we have set the goal to give new momentum to the cooperation between Hungary and Canada”. He noted Hungary’s upcoming European Union presidency and that Canada would be the rotating president of the G7 next year.

“Our defence cooperation is an important pillar of Hungary’s security,” Szijjártó said, and noted that Canada had provided training to Hungarian fighter pilots in recent years and that the Hungarian military had purchased its air defence radar systems partly from Canada.

“Both countries are in the nuclear camp, with nuclear energy having an over 10 percent share (in total consumption) and we have agreed that we would exploit opportunities in research and development cooperation,” the minister said.

Szijjártó also said Hungary’s exports to Canada, mainly food products, exceeded an annual 450 million dollars, adding that it was “a great record”.

With Melanie Joy. Photo: FB/Szijjártó

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