Foreign Affairs Ministry of Hungary

FM Szijjártó happy: Paks NPP’s Russian upgrade to be speeded up

Hungarian interests have been protected in the face of the European Union’s latest sanctions package against Russia, as Hungary’s nuclear plant in Paks has received full exemption from the measures, allowing works on its expansion to speed up, Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said in Luxembourg on Monday.

Paks exempt from EU sanctions

Adoption of the 14th package was “the continuation of an utterly failed strategy”, Szijjártó said during a break of a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council.

Hungary had engaged in sharp debates during the preparation period “to protect ourselves, our national interests and energy security”, Szijjártó said, according to a ministry statement.

“We’ve reached the objective of having it stated in this directive that the construction of the new Paks nuclear power plant and all its processes, stages and elements are completely exempted from sanctioning measures,” he said.

“This means that the European companies participating in the investment — and we have many French, German and Austrian companies — will not have to apply for permits from the authorities of member states.”

Hungarian presidency will focus on enlargement

“This general exemption has created a situation regarding the Paks investment as if there were no war in Ukraine, and the war did not entail sanctions or economic restrictions,” he said.

Meanwhile, Szijjártó said the upcoming Hungarian presidency will focus on speeding up the EU’s enlargement process in the Western Balkans.

Szijjártó said the membership candidates in the region had been waiting for membership for “more than 15 years … because some western European countries continue to hamper the process, citing so-called issues of merit. The same countries are not so meticulous regarding the same merits when it comes to Ukraine.”

szijjártó ukraine eu Paks — Photo: Facebook/Szijjártó Péter

He said that was a “mockery” of the enlargement process, adding that Western Balkans countries must be assessed “realistically, pragmatically, and not on an ideological basis”.

EU to fund sustainable energy upgrades in Hungary

The European Commission has earmarked 2.9 billion euros to support 39 sustainable energy initiatives in 10 member states, with Hungary receiving 76.8 million euros for the upgrade and development of sustainable district heating, the EC said on Monday.

The funding was paid through the EU’s Modernisation Fund, set up in 2021 to funnel revenues from auctioning emission allowances to upgrades furthering the EU’s climate goals.

Projects were funded in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The Fund aims to support schemes helping EU member states in achieving their climate and energy policy goals and contribute to the EU achieving climate neutrality by 2050.

Besides the 10 states participating in the project, the Modernisation Fund also supports Greece, Portugal and Slovenia.

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Chinese could emerge around Paks II construction in Hungary – Read more HERE

June 25, 2024

Instead of the ECR membership in the EU, PM Orbán got a new pipeline from Meloni in Rome

In Rome on Monday for talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said hundreds of thousands of jobs may be lost in the next decade if a European competitiveness fails to materialise.

Europe’s biggest problem now is its decline in competitiveness, Orbán told a joint press conference with Meloni, adding that Hungary’s EU rotating presidency would put a European competitiveness pact centre stage.

Hungary and Italy have a common interest in a successful and competitive European economy, as well as in a policy that does not isolate them from partners outside Europe, Orbán said. European industry must be robust, with green transition working “in cooperation rather than against it”, he said.

Meanwhile, he said the importance of Italy-Hungary cooperation spanned the economy and defence policy, and this should be broadened to include energy too, noting that a gas pipeline will be built connecting the two countries’ networks via Slovenia.

He noted that Slovenia had until now held out on an agreement to connecting Italy and Hungary’s gas networks.

Regarding economic ties between the two countries, Orbán said Italy is Hungary’s 5th most important economic partner, with trade doubling in the past decade and exports reaching records last year.

He welcomed that 600 Italian companies currently employ 20,000 people in Hungary.

Hungary and Italy have recently cooperated in developing the Triest port and a logistics project in Ukraine, he added.

In defence cooperation, Italy’s contingent of troops stationed in Hungary is the largest, with 256 Italian troops integrated into NATO’s command in the country, he said.

Regarding the EU enlargement to include the Western Balkans, he said it was “shameful and unacceptable” that those countries had been waiting for a membership for 15 years. “We should say yes or no, but we shouldn’t do this.”

Meanwhile, in connection with illegal migration, Orbán said Hungary supported Italy’s proposal regarding a comprehensive European strategy on African development. Africa’s population is expected to grow by 750 million people in the coming 20 years, he said. Europe will either have to come up with a plan to develop Africa “to keep Africans home” or face waves of mass migration it is ill-prepared to defend itself against, he added.

On the subject of how EU posts are assigned, Orbán said the heads of EU institutions should not be selected on a party political basis, adding that he would not back the relevant “party agreement”.

As the longest-serving prime minister in the EU, Orbán said he saw “the root of European problems” in a 2014 decision of the European Commission’s then-president “to turn the political body into a political player”. That process had been ongoing ever since, he said.

He said currently three parties divided the most important posts among themselves, putting EU institutions on a party political basis, he said. This resulted in “government and opposition”, which was antithetical to the inclusivity at the root of the European ideal, he said.

“Everyone should be included; no country should feel they are in a minority or opposition,” he said.

Orbán said that during talks with Meloni he had not discussed party politics, adding that those issues had been concluded during last week’s Brussels summit.

Orbán said he had made it clear his Fidesz party would not sit in the same group as an “anti-Hungarian Romanian party”. “There is nothing to negotiate about; we are not going to sit in a group like that.”

At the same time, Orbán said he and Meloni agreed they both remained committed to the cooperation of right-wing parties, even if they did not sit in the same parliamentary group.

Meloni: Italy supports Hungary’s EU presidency programme

Italy supports Hungary’s programme for its upcoming European Union presidency, with its focus on the challenges posed by demographic decline, as well as improving competitiveness and European defence capabilities, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Monday.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Rome, Meloni said the “new European approach, which has recently taken shape” regarding issues such as the protection of the EU’s borders, the stand against illegal migration and cooperation with African countries, “must be boosted”.

Regarding the war in Ukraine, Meloni also thanked Hungary for enabling important decisions in the EU and NATO, “even if opinions were not always aligned.” Also, Meloni said she appreciated that the Hungarian presidency would focus on the EU integration of the Western Balkans.

Foreign minister Szijjártó: Rebuilding European competitiveness key task ahead

A key task ahead will be to revitalise European economic competitiveness, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said on Facebook on Monday after meeting Italian EU affairs minister Raffaele Fitto in Rome. Szijjártó noted that Italy is Hungary’s fifth most important trading partner, and Hungarian exports were worth 8.5 billion euros last year, a record amount. Italian companies, he added, make up the 11th biggest investor community in Hungary, employing 20,000 people.

Trans Austria Gas pipeline could add to Hungary’s energy security

The Trans Austrian Gas pipeline could contribute to strengthening the security of Hungary’s energy supply, the minister of foreign affairs and trade said after meeting the top officials of the gas pipeline’s operator, Trans Austria Gasleitung, in Vienna on Tuesday.

According to a statement from the ministry, Peter Szijjarto told public media that the pipeline could be a “good security reserve”, giving Hungary access to LNG arriving at ports in Italy. He said that Hungary would not give up its sovereign energy policy. He acknowledged the need to diversify energy supply, but said that did not mean giving up existing, reliable sources of energy.

Szijjarto noted that Hungary’s gas supply was secured with a large share of it arriving via the TurkStream pipeline. “But it gives extra security to have alternative supply routes coming into play, and the pipeline delivering gas from Italy via Austria to central Euope could be one,” the foreign minister said.

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June 25, 2024

Foreign minister: Hungary’s red lines on Ukraine funding, military training crossed in EU

The crossing of red lines in the European Union has started, with the bloc ignoring Hungary’s right to decide on the matter of 1.4 billion euros for financing arms deliveries to Ukraine and sending military trainers there, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said in Luxembourg on Monday.

Szijjártó said pro-war governments had “failed massively” electorally, yet “war hysteria” had ratcheted up ever since and “they have ignored the will of the people”. During a break of the EU Foreign Affairs Council he told a press conference that it was clear that many EU member states were preparing gearing up for a long war.

He noted that another 1.4 billion euros from the European Peace Fund would be used to finance weapons for Ukraine, “even though Hungary doesn’t assent to this”, adding that the funds essentially matched seized or frozen Russian assets.

As Hungary abstained from the first vote on their use, he said EU bodies and member states had taken that as a cue to ignore Hungary’s position and its right to decide.

“This is a clear red line,” the minister said, adding that disregarding common European rules had been regarded in the past as “a shameless violation”. He insisted that European rules were being breached by those who vociferously advocated rule-of-law procedures and talked about the threat to democratic values.

Szijjártó said it appeared that the EU apparently was willing to carry on crossing red lines, referring to a proposal by the EU’s foreign policy chief on training Ukrainian soldiers on Ukrainian territory as well as in other countries, which he called “extremely dangerous”. This proposal would also “cross a red line”, he said, warning that this would be “the first step” towards stationing EU troops in Ukraine.

The minister also said that Hungary was under immense pressure to assent to the release of around 6.5 billion euros from the European Peace Framework for the purpose of making further arms shipments to Ukraine, adding that if the Ukrainian authorities carried on discriminating against Hungarian companies, “there can be no question of this” happening.

Szijjártó said the Ukrainian authorities were considering stripping Hungarian pharma company Richter of some of its distribution licences and may be drafting a new list of “companies that support the war”, putting Hungarian companies in the crosshairs once again.

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June 24, 2024

FM Szijjártó: Budapest Mini Dubai project may start in September

Hungary and the United Arab Emirates have both benefitted a lot from their cooperation and are prepared to further develop their relations, Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said in Budapest on Thursday.

Cooperation agreements

Bilateral trade turnover increased by 8 percent last year, and Hungarian exports to the UAE are up by 18 percent so far this year, Szijjártó told a joint press conference with UAE Economy Minister Abdulla bin Touq Al-Marri, according to a ministry statement.

Szijjártó welcomed that the two countries have signed an agricultural cooperation agreement, which he said would create more opportunities to export Hungarian food products and technologies to the Gulf country.

He said a space exploration cooperation agreement signed by the two countries demonstrated the scope of their cooperation and would promote the internationalisation of Hungary’s space programme.

Hungarian astronauts will conquer the space — Tibor Kapu (32, mechanical engineer, r), the Hungarian astronaut, who was chosen to go to space. Electrical engineer Gyula Cserényi is his reserve. Photo: FB/Orbán

Mini Dubai will give new momentum

The minister also touched on the investment project to redevelop the Rákosrendező area in Budapest’s 14th district, which he said would give new momentum to the capital’s development.

“A new, modern, green and sustainable quarter will be developed around the Rákosrendező train station which today is an abandoned derelict area,” Szijjártó said. “We will revive this area and give it back to Budapest residents and the Hungarian people. It will be turned into a new, modern green district with complex sports, tourism, residential, economic and business functions.”

Budapest mini Dubai — Mini Dubai on the horizon? Source: FB/Karácsony Gergely

Szijjártó said the preparatory public procurement work was already under way, and the aim was to turn the area over to the property developer in September.

As regards energy cooperation, Szijjártó said he and bin Touq Al-Marri had agreed to elevate their countries’ cooperation on research, education and training and to take a joint stand against discrimination against nuclear energy.

Wise, restrained, moderate and responsible behavior

On the topic of global and regional security, Szijjártó expressed Hungary’s appreciation for the UAE’s “wise, restrained, moderate and responsible behavior with which it plays an extremely important stabilising role in the Middle East”.

Underlining the negative economic impact of armed conflicts, Szijjártó said the settlement of these conflicts was a serious economic interest.

He said the Gaza crisis and terrorist attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea posed a risk of price surges in Europe.

“We greatly appreciate the efforts of the United Arab Emirates and other countries in the region to restore the freedom and security of maritime trade in the Red Sea, which is a clear European and clear Hungarian interest,” the minister said.

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June 20, 2024

According to foreign minister Szijjártó, to be anti-Israel is to be anti-semitic

The anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic developments seen in western Europe and in the United States would be “totally inconceivable” in Hungary, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said on Monday, adding that “conditions for a peaceful coexistence are fully ensured” in the country.

szijjártó israel — Photo: Facebook/Szijjártó Péter

Szijjártó held a joint press conference with Israel Katz, his Israeli counterpart, and expressed deep concern over increasing anti-Israeli tendencies in international organisations.

“Israel is entitled to fair and equal treatment in international organisations,” the foreign ministry quoted Szijjártó as saying, adding that the Hungarian government had always thwarted “unilateral, biased attacks and statements against Israel, and will continue to do so in future.”

Mounting modern-age anti-Semitism in Europe “is the result of an absolutely irresponsible migration policy, under which a vociferous minority can often override the will of a quiet majority,” Szijjártó said.

The minister said criticism of Hungary over anti-Semitism “by countries … who should at least keep quiet” was “absolutely shocking”.

The upcoming Hungarian European Union presidency would strive to “restore cooperation between the EU and Israel to the level of mutual respect,” Szijjártó said, urging the sides to conduct a dialogue and “suppress the tone of reprimanding and lecturing”. He added the Hungarian presidency would make preparations for association talks between the EU and Israel “in that spirit”.

Szijjártó said the Middle East crisis had had a big impact on global security and warned that the Gaza conflict could “easily become a global threat”. “Moreover, should the Gaza crisis and the war in Ukraine somehow be interconnected … we could face the real possibility of a global war,” he said.

According to the Hungarian government, “November 7 must not be repeated at any time or anywhere; the international community must defeat terrorist groups,” Szijjártó said. He also called for an immediate and unconditional release of all the hostages still held by Hamas, noting that the terrorist organisation had taken hostage five Hungarian nationals, three of whom had been released, one died, and the last one “is probably alive and hopefully soon to be released”.

“Civilian lives must be saved,” Szijjártó said, adding that terrorist organisations “using civilians as a shield for their own defence … is unacceptable, base cowardice.”

“Everything must be done to prevent escalation of the conflict, which could engulf the whole region in flames,” he said.

The ministry’s statement quoted Katz as thanking the Hungarian government for its support, adding: “Hungary is a true friend to Israel, their ties being founded on respect.” Katz said Hungary’s fight against anti-Semitism was exemplary, and wished to see similar efforts “in western Europe and in other parts of the world.”

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June 17, 2024

Foreign minister Szijjártó: No goal can be achieved without Russia

Hungary continues to call for, meaningful peace negotiations between those who are fighting the war, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said on Sunday before departing for a major peace summit on Ukraine in Switzerland.

Szijjártó recalled that for two and a half years Hungary had been “living in the shadow of the war raging next door”, and for two and a half years Hungary had been saying “loud and clear” – arguing in favour of an immediate ceasefire and peace talks – that this war has no solution on the battlefield. He also underscored that Hungary is ready to mediate between the West and Russia – read our article about it HERE!

Szijjártó noted that the later the negotiations start, the later a ceasefire is reached, the more people will die and the greater the destruction will be.

He said Hungary had always highly appreciated Switzerland’s efforts for peace but added that a peace conference could only achieve its goal if both warring sides were at the table. “But this will not happen this weekend,” he said.

“What is going on next door is a war between Russia and Ukraine, not a war between Europe and Russia, not a war between the Western world and Russia, quite simply because Russia attacked Ukraine and not Europe or the Western world. That is why we are still urging real, meaningful peace negotiations between those who are fighting the war. The international community should achieve the goal that the warring sides finally conclude a ceasefire and sit down at the same table [for talks],” the foreign minister said in a post on Facebook.

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June 17, 2024

FM Szijjártó: All Hungary’s criteria for starting EU accession talks with Ukraine included in framework document

All of the criteria defined by Hungary have been incorporated in the EU framework document drafted on starting accession talks with Ukraine, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said on Facebook on Friday evening.

He referred to heavy debates in the EU in the past days and weeks over the sort of criteria Brussels should set for starting those talks.

Szijjártó reiterated Hungary’s position that respecting the rights of national minorities by Ukraine should be set as a criterion “for any further steps”.

“Some member states did not want to hear about this criterion, but we made it clear that we insist on restoring the rights to the ethnic Hungarian community to preserve their national identity, the use of their mother tongue and to Hungarian language education,” the foreign minister said.

Welcoming the agreement reached on Friday evening in Brussels on incorporating of all of the criteria set by Hungary, Szijjártó said “we now have a document from Brussels establishing that Ukraine must restore the rights taken away from ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia over the past years”.

Andrea Bocskor, an MEP of ruling Fidesz for Transcarpathia, on Saturday, called the adoption of the document a “significant Hungarian diplomatic success”, which she said was a serious achievement for Transcarpathian Hungarians in terms of regaining their rights lost in recent years.

She noted that Ukraine must draw up a minority action plan with the involvement of Hungarian representatives and resolve the problems listed in the 11 points presented by the Hungarian foreign ministry which would also be reviewed by the European Commission.

Viktória Ferenc, also an MEP of ruling Fidesz, said that “it fills me with joy and confidence that the legal protection of Transcarpathian Hungarians is officially part of Ukraine’s accession process, and this way it is no longer a bilateral but a European issue”.

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June 16, 2024

Hungary to become fourth EU state to open embassy in Laos

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó on Friday opened a Hungarian embassy in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, making Hungary the fourth European Union member country operating an embassy in the country.

Hungarian Embassy in Laos

The ministry cited Szijjártó telling the opening event that Hungary and Laos had established diplomatic relations more than sixty years ago but they raised their cooperation to a level of strategic partnership only five years ago. Since then, Laos has had an embassy in Budapest and now Hungary also has one in Laos, he added.

Hungary is the fourth EU member state after Germany, France and Luxembourg to open an embassy in Vientiane, Szijjártó said.

He said that despite the tens of thousands of kilometres distance between the two countries, he and his Laotian counterpart could develop successful political and economic cooperation thanks to a common appreciation of the importance of mutual respect and dialogue. Building ties is also helped by the fact that both countries have fought much for their freedom, he added.

Hungarian companies have made investments worth some 200 million dollars in Laos in recent years, mainly in agriculture, water management and the development of public adminstration, he said.

The success of cooperation is also demonstrated by a fifty-fold increase in bilateral trade this year, he added.

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June 14, 2024

FM Szijjártó: Hungary as EU president to cooperate with ASEAN

During its European Union presidency starting on July 1, Hungary will cooperate with Laos, which is currently serving as president of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and will work to strengthen ties between the regions, the foreign minister said in Laos on Friday.

Péter Szijjártó in Laos

Péter Szijjártó told a press conference after talks with his Laotian counterpart Saleumxay Kommasith that the importance of cooperation was clear from the fact that this had been the 15th meeting between the ministers, according to a ministry statement.

As presidents of their respective regional alliances, Hungary and Laos had a duty to stand up for peaceful negotiations and diplomatic solutions, Szijjártó said.

Freezing ties and communication channels was “dangerous and wrong”, Szijjártó said. Security challenges can only be overcome through negotiations, he added.

It is important that the presidents of the EU and ASEAN stand for the same message: that solutions cannot be found on the battlefield but at the negotiating table, he said.

Europe has a vested interest in stronger ties with south-east Asia, as “it needs new momentum and to improve competitiveness”, he said.

Hungary will work to “restart and speed up” the talks on free trade agreements between the EU and Indonesia, Malaysia, the Phillippines and Thailand, among other countries, he said.

Meanwhile, Hungarian agricultural and water management companies are extremely successful in Laos, contributing to food safety, the modernisation of agriculture and to drinking water supply, Szijjártó said.

The ministers have signed an agreement on expanding cooperation in water management. The sector greatly contributes to the recent jump of bilateral trade. Hungary is also offering university grants for 150 Laotian university students, he added.

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June 14, 2024

Foreign minister Szijjártó: NATO members view Ukraine war differently from Hungary

The position of the majority of NATO member states concerning the war in Ukraine and the possibility of peace is entirely different from that of Hungary, the foreign minister said on Wednesday.

NATO is preparing to launch a mission concerning Ukraine which Hungary deems “dangerous and unnecessary”, but since NATO’s 31 other members have a different view “we cannot prevent that,” Péter Szijjártó said on Facebook.

He said the Hungarian government’s most important goal and task was to secure a guarantee that Hungarian troops should not be obliged to participate in the planned mission, that Hungarian taxpayers’ money should not be used for its financing and that there should be “no military event taking place in Hungary’s territory,” Szijjártó said.

Szijjártó and Jens Stoltenberg:

“The threat of the war’s escalation is now bigger than ever,” he said, adding that “continued efforts are expected to be made to maintain Hungary’s security and to ensure that the country is not involved in the war.”

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June 12, 2024

Mali’s minister foreign minister Abdoulaye Diop hold talks in Budapest

Europe “cannot be a secure place” if there is no security in Africa, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said in Budapest on Monday, at a press conference held jointly with Abdoulaye Diop, Mali’s minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation.

The Sahel region is one of Africa’s most vulnerable areas “therefore we could say that Europe’s security is determined in the Sahel,” Szijjártó said.

Szijjártó said a visit by his counterpart from Mali, for the first time in 47 years, was “more topical than ever” amid security challenges both in the Sahel and in central Europe: “armed conflicts, wars, and migratory pressure”.

High energy prices, inflation, and challenges around food supply are “daily problems” in the Sahel, he said, adding that the threat of terrorism was also on the rise and warned that terrorism could also be fought through international cooperation. “When terrorism is on the increase it will trigger more serious waves of migration … and the Hungarian government will provide every assistance to countries in the Sahel region to ensure stability and peace, helping local governments successfully fight terrorism,” he said.

The minister said Hungary’s upcoming European Union presidency would work to make the European continent “a secure place again … where there is no war, a continent where migration could be stemmed.” He said a successful strategy required that “mutual respect should be restored” in international politics … and it needs dialogue rather than diktats, declarations or lecturing”. Mali and Hungary “have a natural cooperation based on mutual respect”, Szijjártó said, and noted that the Hungarian government had helped that country with some 40 million forints “to make the life of people in Mali better and more secure” through programmes under the Hungary Helps scheme.

He said Hungarian voters had clearly supported the government in its policies, adding that the over 2 million votes cast for ruling Fidesz on Sunday were “the highest number a party has ever garnered in Hungary in a European parliamentary election”. He said garnering 44.6 percent of the votes “is worth a European champion title in countries with more than two parties running in the election.”

Answering a question, Szijjártó said he regretted the recent resignation of Culture Minister Janos Csak, noting an “excellent cooperation” with him as well as his personal appreciation.

FM Szijjártó: Hungary and Vatican agree on issue of war

Hungary and the Vatican are on an equal footing as regards the issue of war and peace, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said after meeting the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States in Vatican City on Friday, noting that both countries supported making peace in Ukraine as soon as possible.

According to a statement from the foreign ministry, Szijjártó‘s talks with Archbishop Richard Gallagher focused primarily on the war in Ukraine.

“We were in agreement that making peace these days requires enormous courage … as those who want peace and work for it along with pro-peace politicians are under enormous pressure,” the ministry quoted Szijjártó as saying. Those who are exerting pressure “have a legal, psychical and a political tool-kit”, he said.

“The legal tool is being used against Donald Trump on the other side of the Atlantic. The psychical one was unfortunately manifested in the attempt on the life of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico,” Szijjártó said. “The political one is sought to be applied against us in the form of proposals aimed at revoking our voting rights in the EU just to prevent that we could continue to block the spread of the war.”

He said that the war in Ukraine would “only have losers, no winners” and it was hard to predict “how many” because “a threat of escalation is growing by the day”.

The minister criticised a recent decision allowing the Ukrainian army to attack targets in Russia with weapons supplied by the United States and Germany and also criticised a statement on sending French training officers to Ukraine, arguing that those could increase the threat of a world war.

“The Vatican’s foreign minister and I agreed that we need to mobilise the resources of diplomacy,” Szijjártó said, highlighting the need for starting and maintaining dialogue on peace.

He said they spoke about the upcoming peace conference on Ukraine in Switzerland which will be attended by both Hungary and the Vatican. “But we have a kind of sense of absence, regretting that not all warring sides will be present,” he added.

Meanwhile, Szijjártó underscored the importance of strengthening bilateral relations, saying that “we need the closest possible allies who are ready to take action in the interest of peace.”

On another topic, Szijjártó pointed out the Hungarian government’s aim to continue to develop relations with the historical churches also to the benefit of the Hungarian people.

“The fact that the number of students studying in church-run schools has gone up to 184,000 from 74,000 since we took power in 2010 reflects a rather positive opinion by Hungarian families and parents on our church and education policy,” he said.

Szijjártó said that they also discussed the issue of persecuted Christians, noting the government’s continued consultations with the Vatican on the matter. He also noted the launch of 367 programmes under a government scheme that was aimed at improving the situation of persecuted Christians in 64 countries.

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June 8, 2024

Foreign minister Szijjártó: Hungary to attend Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland

Hungary will attend the Ukraine peace summit due to start on June 15 in Switzerland at the foreign ministerial level, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in St. Petersburg on Thursday, adding that the government regretted that the summit will not be attended by both warring sides.

Szijjártó said Hungary’s participation at the peace conference was driven by the country’s “absolute position on the side of peace”, and it attended all events where peace was on the agenda.

At the same time, he expressed his regret that the conference would be held without the participation of Russia. Hungary, he said, believed that a real result could only be expected if both sides were sat at the negotiating table.

This will not be the case this time, he said, according to a ministry statement, adding, however, that Hungary respected Switzerland’s efforts and will attend the conference at the foreign ministerial level.

Szijjártó later spoke at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum about the need to broker peace as soon as possible and the negative consequences of the war in Ukraine.

“We urge and pray for an immediate ceasefire,” Szijjártó said. “We urge and pray for peace talks to take place because we do believe that under peaceful circumstances we might be able to develop much quicker and much more smoothly, and life will again be calmer and more peaceful in Europe if we can put peace in the forefront of international politics.”

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June 7, 2024

FM Szijjártó welcomes Brazil-China statement on Ukraine war

Hungary welcomes the statement signed by Brazil and China on how to resolve the war in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in St Petersburg on Thursday, saying the statement promoted peace in the country, which was in Hungary’s interest.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, Szijjártó said the statement signed by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Celso Amorim, the Brazilian president’s chief adviser on foreign policy, was a step forward because it addressed ways to promote peace. “Therefore we welcome, appreciate and value this common statement,” he said.

He said Hungary’s government agreed that the solution could not be found on the battlefield and could only be brought about through negotiations.

Szijjártó said the government was concerned by the statements by some European leaders on the possible use of nuclear weapons. “We do hope that no one is going to think about it seriously.”

“We also agree with the approach that nuclear energy facilities need to be protected,” Szijjarto Szijjártó said. Cooperation in nuclear energy is not subject to European Union sanctions and Hungary’s government will reject any restrictions in the sector, he said.

Hungary’s energy needs, he added, could only be met with nuclear energy in the mix, noting that its Paks plant is fueled by Russian fuel, “which is thus key to a safe energy supply”, he said.

“It is not only that we do not support sanctions; we are interested in further improving our nuclear cooperation with Russia,” he said.

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June 6, 2024

FM Szijjártó in Russia: No one has the moral right to put pressure on us to cut our relationships

The government considers all measures that could jeopardise the security of Hungary’s energy supply “attacks on our national sovereignty”, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said in St. Petersburg on Thursday.

Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the minister noted that Hungary was among the European states whose energy supply was hit the hardest by the consequences of the war in Ukraine. In the long term, this has also had the effect that “the issue of energy supply has become a hostage of political and ideological debates,” he added.

Szijjártó said that “regardless of all the pressure”, Hungary still refused to consider energy “a political or ideological issue”. “For us, energy supply is a practical question,” he said, adding that the government would not give up well-functioning partnerships, and “based on the physical reality and based on the infrastructure”, Hungary would not be able to import enough energy without Russian oil and gas.

Szijjártó in Russia:

The minister said Hungary had not received “any offer from anyone who would deliver the same volume of gas or oil according to the same schedule on the same level of reliability at the same price”.

“And as long as there’s no such offer, no one has the moral right to put pressure on us to cut our relationships and change to other sources,” he said.

Szijjártó pointed out that all projects that would have allowed such a switch-over have been cancelled or postponed, citing the cancellation of Western companies’ plans to start extracting natural gas from offshore fields in Romania. Meanwhile, Croatia, instead of expanding the capacity of its gas pipeline, has increased transit fees fivefold, he said.

He emphasised that the matter of the composition of the energy mix was a matter of national sovereignty, and the Hungarian government’s decisions on energy matters were determined solely by its aim to guarantee the country’s secure energy supply.

He noted that Hungary needs 8 million tonnes of crude a year, 90 percent of which is covered from imports, and 70-80 percent of this comes from Russia. For natural gas, Hungary’s annual demand is 8.5 billion cubic metres, 80 percent of which comes from imports, including 70-80 percent from Russia.

“And the stability of this delivery is a core national interest of ours,” Szijjártó said. “Therefore we reject all international proposals, actions and decisions which would limit or restrict or worsen the security and the stability of these deliveries.”

He said this was why the government did not support the European Union’s energy sanctions and rejected all customs duties on energy resources.

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June 6, 2024

Historical agreement: Hungary to buy stake in one of world’s largest gas fields

Hungary and Azerbaijan have signed a “historic agreement” under which Hungary “will buy a stake in one of the world’s largest natural gas fields,” the minister of foreign affairs and trade said in Baku on Wednesday.

The foreign ministry quoted Péter Szijjártó as saying at a press conference held with Ceyhun Bayramov, his Azeri counterpart, that the agreement would open “a new dimension in Hungary’s energy security … helping the country to a much higher level at the global energy market.”

Hungary to own a part of the huge gas field

Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz gas fields yield nearly 30 billion cubic metres of gas annually, Szijjártó said, adding that a large part of that amount was exported to Europe through the Southern Gas Corridor.

“Practically speaking, we will own the resource to cover a large part of our gas demand,” the minister said, adding that the country would be “much more protected against large fluctuations and uncertainties on the energy markets.”

Szijjártó highlighted the strategic partnership between Hungary and Azerbaijan, and said Azerbaijan’s being “an extremely important player in Hungary’s energy supply” ensured “a significant level of security” for Hungary.

The minister also noted that Hungary had purchased gas from Azerbaijan earlier this year for the first time, a total 50 million cubic metres, and added that both sides were ready to continue the cooperation. In July, he added, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, and Hungary will set up a joint venture to import green energy produced in the Caspian region to central Europe.

Hungarian oil and gas company Mol has so far invested some 2 billion US dollars in Azerbaijan, “making Mol the third largest owner in Azerbaijan submarine gas fields,” Szijjártó added. He added that Mol had extraced 5 million barrels of oil from those fields last year, 15 percent of the total Mol Group production.

Mol and SOCAR have started talks aimed at a liquefied natural gas purchasing blanket agreement, Szijjártó said.

On another topic, Szijjártó praised Hungarian-Azeri relations, saying it was an example of the benefits and security provided by ties based on mutual respect. Both countries are of the opinion that the coming years should be determined by connectivity rather than conflict, he said.

Hungary had received “much uncouth criticism and many accusations from European partners” when it started a strategic partnership with Azerbaijan in 2010, Szijjártó said. “Those are the same partners who have been considering Azerbaijan as an important country only since it started producing gas in large quantities.”

Without Azerbaijan, Europe’s energy demand cannot be satisfied in the long run and in a sustainable manner, he said.

During its European Union presidency starting on July 1, Hungary will support all efforts to promote stability in the region, Szijjártó said.

“We will ensure that the European Union takes balanced steps. We would like to avoid the EU fanning flames that would otherwise go out,” he said, adding that Hungary had called on the EU to provide the same 10 million US dollar support for Azerbaijan that it had earmarked for de-mining in Armenia.

“Azeri and Armenian people both deserve to live in peace again,” he said

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June 5, 2024

Foreign minister Szijjártó won’t let others criticise Hungary’s purchase of Russian gas

Foreign minister Szijjártó happily laughing with Russian FM Lavrov on the day of Navalny's burial

Hungary’s government continues to reject any interference in issues connected to the country’s energy supply, which it considers a matter of national sovereignty, foreign minister Péter Szijjártó said in Baku on Wednesday.

Speaking at the Baku Energy Forum, Szijjártó said recent crises had led to a tendency to create blocks in world economy. That would put safe energy supplies at risk, he said, lamenting that the issue had become a battleground of political conflicts and ideological debates. Meanwhile, supplying energy is a “physical and mathematical problem rather than a philosophical one”, he said.

Szijjártó: We have to eliminate discrimination against nuclear energy

Szijjártó said ensuring a safe and sustainable energy supply hinged on eliminating the “discrimination” against nuclear energy.

The world’s electricity demand is set to double by 2030 in the wake of the green transition of industry and transport, and the only cheap and sustainable way to supply for that demand will be through nuclear reactors, he said.

Another task in terms of a safe supply is to “resist the extremely aggressive pressure” in the European Union aiming to phase out natural gas from the national energy mix, he said.

That “artificially created, unrealistic, ideological” aim would severely harm countries’ competitiveness, he said, calling for an alternate course of upgrading energy infrastructure to enable diversification.

Hungary had been “working hard” to diversify its energy supply, he said, “meaning the involvement of more resources, not replacing already existing ones.”

He slammed the EU’s decision to withhold support from network expansion in south-eastern Europe, on the grounds that natural gas would be phased out of the energy mix in 15 years. “Even if that were true, we still have 14 years.”

The third step to secure energy supplies, Szijjártó said, was to eliminate all steps curbing “free, fair and uninterrupted international energy cooperation.”

The EU sanctions imposed on Russia after the start of the Ukraine war had led to skyrocketing energy prices. Hungary was obliged to pay 10 billion euros more than expected for its energy imports, he said. Therefore, Hungary rejects all sanctions on energy and sees attempts to impose tariffs on energy resources “unacceptable and outrageous”, Szijjártó said.

Hungary’s government doesn’t choose its energy suppliers on a political basis, Szijjártó said. “This is not a political declaration but a matter of national sovereignty and rationality.”

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June 5, 2024

Breaking news – After Belgium, Austria supports the suspension of Hungarian voting rights

The Hungarian Government openly attacks the EU at home and everywhere it goes abroad. It is now commonplace that it refuses to reach any kind of consensus, constantly using its veto. More and more countries (with the newest one being Austria) seem to be getting tired of this destructiveness.

A few days ago, the Belgian Foreign Minister, who holds the EU Presidency, said that the Union must be strong and continue the Article 7 procedure against Hungary and, if all the ropes are cut, our country must be deprived of its voting rights in the EU.

Our neighbour, the Austrian government, does not seem to support this kind of ‘politicking’ either. It has sided with the Belgians, and it is also in favour of pursuing proceedings against Hungary.

As reported yesterday, Belgium is fed up with Hungary – while supporting its rotating presidency – and is proposing to the EU that Article 7 should continue to be enforced against Hungary and, if necessary, that voting rights should be suspended. According to Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, “we have a Europe that is struggling to move forward and unfortunately some states – one state in particular – are increasingly adopting a blocking and vetoing attitude”. ReaHadja Lahbibd details HERE: Belgium seeks to remove Hungary’s veto power in EU decision-making

In response, the Hungarian Foreign Minister said he seemed unwilling to understand the problem of using a permanent veto and was using the war communication template. Brussels wants to suppress the pro-peace forces and remove the last obstacle to war by silencing and excluding Hungary from the decision-making process. Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, interpreted the government’s position in response to this suggestion. However, he did not say why Hungary now regularly uses the veto and does not seek to understand the position of the overwhelming majority. Lately, the Orbán government has been virtually alone in blocking unanimous decision-making.

Austria has also joined the dialogue

It seems that this is not the end of the story, as Austria has also joined the dialogue. According to Politico, Vienna supports Belgium’s call to continue the process of stripping Hungary of its voting rights, in another sign of frustration in Budapest ahead of the start of the six-month EU Council presidency in July.

We expect all 27 members to fully respect the principles on which our common Union is built,

a spokesperson for the Austrian Foreign Ministry told Politico. “This is particularly true for the rotating EU presidency. With this in mind, we support the strict continuation of the Article 7 procedure against Hungary.”

It is important to note that the European Parliament launched the first phase of the Article 7 procedure against Hungary in 2018, but the process has stalled. The next step of this procedure, which is used when a country is deemed to be in breach of the Alliance’s core values, is often referred to as the “nuclear option”, usually just called the “atom bomb” in Hungary, as it provides the most severe political sanction that can be imposed on a member state: the suspension of voting rights on EU decisions.