Szijjártó: Unlike EU, Morocco an ally Hungary can rely on

Unlike the European Union with its “irresponsible policies”, Morocco is a partner Hungary can continue to rely on in the fight against illegal migration, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Rabat on Wednesday.

With the multitude of security challenges faced by Europe, Hungary greatly appreciates its partners that can contribute to improving the situation, rather than make it worse, Szijjártó told a joint press conference with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, according to a ministry statement.

There are armed conflicts on the continent as well as in its direct neighbourhood, while migration pressure is continuously rising and becoming increasingly difficult to manage because of the EU’s “completely irresponsible” policy, Szijjártó said.

He said the EU this year saw a record number of illegal entry attempts on its external borders, adding that Hungary, too, had registered 173,000 illegal border crossing attempts since the beginning of the year.

“Brussels’s migration policy is an irresponsible one, so we can’t rely on Brussels,” he said. “We’re very lucky to be able to rely on north African countries that pursue responsible security policies, such as Morocco.”

“We consider Morocco a bastion of defence of European security,” Szijjártó said. “We owe Morocco our gratitude for its efforts to keep migration at bay, the steps it has taken in the interest of the region’s stability, and because of its firm actions against terrorism.”

“Peace and security in Africa are a fundamental prerequisite for peace and security in Europe,” the minister said.

Migration towards Europe, he said, could only be halted if its root causes were eliminated. This, he added, was another reason why it was important for Hungary and Morocco to cooperate in bolstering Africa’s security, fighting terrorism and developing the economy.

Szijjártó said migration needed to be stopped, rather than encouraged, praising the cooperation between Hungary and Morocco.

He said bilateral cooperation was based on mutual respect. “The reason why this could be established is because we are two sovereign countries that pursue sovereign foreign policies and put their national interests first, don’t give in to pressure, attempts at interference, or the pressure applied by the international liberal mainstream,” he added.

Turning to economic cooperation, Szijjártó welcomed that Morocco had become Hungary’s top trading partner in Africa. Bilateral trade turnover came close to a record 300 million dollars last year, and has grown by 36 percent this year, he said.

Also, some 1,300 Moroccan students applied this year for the 165 scholarships offered for studies at universities in Hungary, he added.

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