Middle East

Hungary calls for supporting Egypt to prevent escalation in Middle East

Egypt’s stability and security is in Europe’s vital interest and is of paramount importance in terms of preventing the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, Hungary’s foreign minister said after meeting his Egyptian counterpart in Geneva on Monday.

Péter Szijjártó held talks with Sameh Hassan Shoukry on the sidelines of a regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

The effects of the security crisis in the Middle East can already be felt in the world and there is a risk of the conflict’s regional and global escalation, Szijjártó said, according to a ministry statement.

He called it the international community’s primary task to prevent escalation of the crisis which Szijjártó said Egypt played “a critical role”, adding that “with its moderate, wise and cautious approach” Egypt had always helped stabilisation in the region.

Szijjártó said Egypt had already contributed greatly to maintaining security in Europe by holding back the waves of illegal migration and thank to its continued mediation efforts since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, an escalation of that war could also be prevented.

He thanked Shoukry for his “imprescriptible merits” in helping the evacuation of Hungarian citizens from the Palestinian enclave.

Szijjártó said bilateral relations were excellent, noting the ongoing manufacturing of railway carriages for Egypt.

These are the sectors in which Hungary and Iran cooperate

Hungary and Iran both have an interest in developing economic cooperation in sectors not subject to sanctions, such as the pharmaceutical industry, the health and food industries and water management, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Tehran on Thursday.

The broad international sanctions imposed on Iran do not make economic and trade cooperation easy, Szijjártó told a Hungarian-Iranian business forum.

“What we think about sanctions in general is irrelevant right now, and is a topic for another speech, but the point is that building economic cooperation isn’t easy,” Szijjártó said. “But ‘not easy’ doesn’t mean that it’s impossible.”

The minister said there were a number of areas that are not subject to sanctions, such as the pharmaceutical industry, the health and food industries and water management. He added that it was a “happy coincidence” that these are among the most-developed sectors of the Hungarian economy and global technological leaders.

Szijjártó said Hungary is the world’s 20th most significant pharma exporter, and that Iran has been using Hungarian-made X-ray machines for over 15 years.

The minister noted that he was accompanied on his visit by representatives of the most high-tech Hungarian agricultural firms which were technological leaders in seed production, animal and plant health as well as premix production.

“We have the food industry companies here with us, representing sectors ranging from milk processing to energy drinks,” he said. He added that water management businesses exporting modern technologies to Africa, Southeast Asia and the Western Balkans were also present.

Szijjártó asked the company executives to take advantage of the opportunity to boost cooperation between Hungary and Iran in the areas not affected by sanctions.

Meanwhile, the minister touched on recent crises such as the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the Middle East conflict, emphasising that the world had entered “an era of dangers” and a new global economic order was emerging.

Hungary, given its geographical location and economic structure, has a vested interest in the global economy “operating under open, peaceful and fair conditions”.

Szijjártó said Hungary was concerned about a potential re-emergence of geopolitical blocs in the world, noting that the country had already lost out on such a divide in the past.

“That’s why we’d much rather like the coming period to be one of connectivity,” he said, adding that Hungary saw cooperation between East and West as an opportunity, rather than a threat or a risk.

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February 22, 2024

United Nations must multiply counter-terrorism resources, says Hungarian foreign minister in NY

The United Nations must multiply its resources spent on counter-terrorism, the minister of foreign affairs and trade said on Thursday.

Péter Szijjártó told public media during a visit in New York that the UN had handled counter-terrorism action as a “stepchild” for a long time. “The role it was able to fulfil depended on the voluntary donations of member states,” he added.

“For years we’ve been fighting for this situation to change”, and financing counter-terrorism is now part of the United Nations‘ central budget, he said.

The UN’s counter-terrorism efforts are currently managed from two locations: New York and Budapest, since the second largest unit of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism operates in Budapest, he said. “Hungary therefore plays an important role in global counter terrorism efforts,” he added.

In addition to peacekeeping, counter-terrorism efforts must be among the most important tasks of the UN, considering that the world faces “the most severe threat of terror ever”, he said. “This started not only with the brutal terrorist attacks in Israel, but the threat of terrorism had already been at a very high level in Africa, the Middle East, South-East Asia and even in Europe, as a result of the development of parallel societies emerging from migration waves to western Europe,” he added.

Terrorism and illegal migration formed a “vicious circle”, he said, because when terrorism became increasingly severe in any one part of the world, migration sprang from that location and terrorist organisations abused illegal migration, hiding their terrorists in the uncontrolled waves of migrants. “If Europe gets hit by migration waves, it will increase chances of terrorists getting in,” he added.

He expressed hope that by keeping the waves of illegal migration under control, the threat of terrorism could be reduced.

Commenting on his talks with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday, he said the UN must play a leading role in counter-terrorism efforts and in peacekeeping. Several international organisations, he said, had failed in respect of the war in Ukraine, only making the situation worse with weapons transports and pro-war propaganda. He said the UN must step forward in this area, given that it was set up precisely to help communication between warring states.

Szijjártó said currently neither side was open to mediation, and the continuation of the war must be expected in Ukraine, despite the fact that “there is no solution on the battlefield”. European strategy “has been a complete failure”, he said. Those European politicians who say the developments in the battlefield would bring the situation closer to peace “cheated” the European people, he said. “They have either lied or assessed the situation completely falsely,” he added.

The foreign minister called freeing the hostages “the most important task” in the Middle East, adding that he agreed with the UN Secretary-General that Qatar should be given all possible support. He noted that Qatar’s mediation efforts had yielded results and the freeing of the first three Hungarian hostages were also thanks to that country.

Meanwhile, Szijjártó said modern-day anti-Semitism had spread “at a shocking rate” in western Europe and the United States in the recent months, with dozens of violent demonstrations held against Israel and with the harassment of Jewish communities and their members. “Those must be stopped,” he said. The minister called modern-day anti-Semitism a consequence of illegal migration in western Europe, saying that “aggressive migrants” had brought it with them as parallel societies had emerged.

With zero tolerance in place against anti-Semitism and a ban on pro-terrorist demonstrations, he said Hungary was the safest country for Jewish communities.

Szijjártó said that it had transpired from his meetings with US Republican politicians that they had extensive information about developments in Europe and in Hungary in particular, and they followed the activities of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his government “with great sympathy”. “They are keeping their fingers crossed” for the prime minister in his efforts to enforce Hungary’s national interests, protect Christian-conservative values and protect families while fighting illegal migration, he said.

Regarding the war in Ukraine, he said: “If someone tries to argue in favour of ending the war in Ukraine, they are immediately called Putin’s friend, a Russian spy or a Kremlin propagandist.” Related article: Hungarian FM Szijjártó receives Order of Friendship from Russian FM Lavrov

The foreign minister attributed Hungary’s success in the recent past to the “honest and clear political strategy” the country had pursued. Hungary, he added, had the political stability for this, based on the Hungarian people’s support of the government’s political strategy.

Speaking about the Hungarian opposition, Szijjártó insisted it was “led by the US ambassador to Budapest, which is a strange situation, a qualified case of [foreign] interference in a country’s internal affairs.” As we wrote a few days ago, the United States may introduce severe travel restrictions against several Hungarian politicians following the Global Magnitsky Act, details HERE.

Good question, is the Hungarian government’s campaign for Trump not interference in a country’s internal affairs? Read details: Orbán: Trump is our only hope

February 9, 2024

Czech government backs down, only the Orbán government vetoes EU sanctions against Israel

The possibility of a Hungarian veto has come up again. Violence in the predominantly Palestinian West Bank has sharply escalated since the outbreak of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in October. The European Union is now preparing a measure similar to the recent one sanctioned by the US Government, which targeted Jewish settlers who aggressively evicted Palestinians in the West Bank.

The West Bank, primarily inhabited by Palestinians, faces an influx of Israeli settlers in growing numbers. Among them are extremists resorting to threats, beatings and vandalism to coerce local Palestinian residents into vacating their homes, enabling the expansion of Israeli settlements. According to reports from the Independent, President Biden has granted authorisation for the United States Treasury Department to impose sanctions on Israeli citizens involved in forcibly displacing Palestinians from their homes in the West Bank or other regions, regardless of official support. National Security spokesman John Kirby later clarified that Israeli political leaders are currently not targeted for sanctions, and emphasised that the sanctions were implemented in coordination with the Israeli government. Following the decision, President Biden addressed Congress, emphasising that the situation in the West Bank, marked by what he described as “a significant escalation of violence by extremist settlers,” constitutes a national security emergency.

The EU’s reaction

Despite the majority of European Union countries supporting sanctions against Israeli settlers similar to those imposed by the US, including Spain, Germany, France, Ireland and Belgium, the sanctions have yet to be implemented. The delay in implementing the sanction was due to the Hungarian government vetoing it. The conflict between Hamas and Israel has caused division within the European Union, as highlighted by an EU Diplomat who stated:

“It’s a disgrace, Europe is nowhere in this discussion. [European Commission President Ursula] von der Leyen is burned. [The EU’s Foreign Policy Chief Josep] Borrel is not taken seriously inside or outside the EU.”

The EU has already sanctioned the Palestinian militant group Hamas, targeting their financial streams and several individuals. While a proposal for sanctions against Israeli settlers was made in December, member countries informally lean towards agreeing on Hamas sanctions first before addressing sanctions against extremist settlers. Following the announcement of the veto, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó confirmed the Hungarian Government’s opposition to the measure. He expressed his belief that it would only exacerbate tensions in the Middle East. Read details HERE: Hungary against sanctioning Israel

Czech Government Backtracks

Yesterday, news broke that the Czech Government intended to join the Hungarian Government in vetoing the proposed sanctions. However, today, the Czech Government reversed its decision and is no longer opposing the European Union’s sanctions against aggressive Israeli settlers according to Politico. The Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jan Lipavsky, provided insight into this change of stance, stating:

“Terrorism is not on the same level as the actions of the settlers, the two should not be linked.”

After the Czech Government withdrew its support for the veto, the Hungarian Government appears to remain steadfast in its opposition to the sanctions.

Hungarian FM: World must do everything possible to prevent Middle East escalation

The international community must do everything possible to prevent the escalation of the armed conflict in the Middle East, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Beirut on Thursday, arguing that a war between Israel and Lebanon would mean a regional war.

The threat of an escalation of the conflict in the Middle East is “a major concern of ours in Hungary”, Szijjártó told a joint press conference with his Lebanese counterpart, Abdallah Bou Habib, according to a ministry statement.

“The whole international community has a huge responsibility in this” and it must “do its best” to prevent an escalation, the minister said.

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He warned of the threat of a regional war or an even wider conflict if just one other country joined the fighting, saying it was therefore vital to avoid a war between Israel and Lebanon.

“We all know that Lebanon doesn’t want a war, we understand that the Lebanese people don’t want war . and we all know that the Lebanese government does not want war, either,” Szijjártó said.

He said the international community should therefore support Beirut in its efforts to prevent a war.

Szijjártó said that hopefully the international community understood the importance of avoiding such a conflict and would mobilise its capacities in the interest of preventing an escalation in the region.

February 1, 2024

Hungarian foreign minister talked about the Hungarian Hamas hostages’ fate in Qatar

Qatar has so far played a crucial role in securing the release of the hostages taken by Hamas from Israel, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said on Wednesday, noting that the three Hungarian citizens who have been released could not have gone free without the help of the Gulf country.

“I have now asked my friend Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi, the state minister for foreign affairs, for Qatar’s help in freeing the last Hungarian citizen being held hostage,” Szijjártó said on Facebook. “My friend, Soltan, has assured me that Qatar will carry on with its efforts in the interest of a ceasefire and in securing the release of the hostages.”

“We greatly appreciate Qatar’s efforts, as it is clear that the Gaza conflict is giving rise to more and more conflicts and crises in the region, which must be avoided,” he said.

“We must pay especially close attention to ensuring that there is no new front between Hezbollah and Israel and that the Red Sea is safe for shipping again,” Szijjártó added.

Read also:

Qatar offers help in efforts to free Hamas hostages with Hungarian citizenship – Read more HERE
Qatari help to further develop Budapest Airport

The conflict in the Middle East has been a matter of deep global concern for more than three and a half months now, the minister said, adding that the longer the conflict went on, the greater the threat of escalation would be.

The international community must now focus on preventing the conflict from spreading beyond the region and on doing everything possible to free hostages held by Hamas, Szijjártó said.

January 31, 2024

Hungarian FM: Genocide charge against Israel ‘nonsense’

The genocide charge against Israel “is nonsense”, the foreign minister said in Jerusalem on Wednesday, pledging Hungary’s full support for the country in all forums where it is under attack for its counter-terrorist operations launched in response to the “hellish” October 7 attack.

“Such accusations against a country that had to face such a hellish terrorist attack is clearly nonsense,” Péter Szijjártó said after talks with Israeli counterpart Israel Katz, adding that successful Israeli counter-terrorist operations were “in the interest of the entire world”.

Szijjártó said that whereas outsiders “from hundreds or thousands of kilometres away” may see Israel’s actions as a geopolitical issue or an armed conflict in need of a resolution, it was clear from close up that the conflict was made up of “thousands … of human tragedies”.

“So Hungary will stand up for Israel in all forums where it is attacked for its counter-terrorist operations,” he said.

Szijjártó called on the international community to support Israel’s manoeuvres to enable the region to return to “the path of the Abraham Accords”, which he said offered an opportunity to normalise the situation in the Middle East.

“One of the goals of the attacks against Israel was clearly to stop that normalisation procedure, and to further poison relations in the Middle East,” the minister said.

Further, the international community must work to avoid escalation, he said. Unless it gets the Islamist militant group Hezbollah to withdraw from the border between Israel and Lebanon, “the danger of escalation is dire”, he said.

Szijjártó said he had talked to his Lebanese counterpart, Abdallah Bou Habib, on several occasions, and Habib had also emphasised the importance of avoiding the conflict’s escalation.

Hungary’s foreign minister said the third big task before the international community was to ensure that the hostages taken by Hamas were freed.

Of the five Hungarian citizens taken by Hamas, three are now free, one remains in captivity and one has died, Szijjártó said. The government is doing everything in its power to free the last Hungarian hostage, too, and remains in contact with the Qatari authorities that play a key role in negotiations, he said.

Szijjártó said the tasks of the international community were to conclude a successful counter-terrorist operation and foster a return to normalisation. Hezbollah must to be turned back from the Israeli-Lebanese border and the hostages freed, Szijjártó said. “Hungary is doing everything it can,” he added.

The conflict also showed the importance of keeping channels of communications open, he said.

Szijjártó cautioned against allowing the conflict to escalate to the point of the outbreak of a third world war. Warning that Hungary was living in the shadow of a similar threat, he said: “If the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East escalate, only the good Lord can save the world from the consequences.”

Later on Wednesday, Szijjártó is scheduled to meet Energy Minister Eli Cohen and Ron Dermer, Israel’s minister of strategic affairs.

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January 18, 2024

One week shutdown at the Suzuki factory in Esztergom -UPDATE

Suzuki has announced a temporary halt regarding the production of the Vitara and S-Cross models at its Esztergom plant for a week due to the recent events at the Red Sea, as stated in a company press release on Monday.

Therefore, these two models will not be produced for a week, starting from 15th January to 22nd January. This decision was made due to delays in the arrival of Japanese-made engines, Reuters wrote.

Magyar Suzuki Ltd., with a share capital of HUF 5.5 billion (EUR 14,503,447), was established in 1991, involving Suzuki of Japan, the Hungarian government, Itochu and the World Bank. The production of the popular Suzuki Swift commenced in 1992.

The Japanese car manufacturer has gained significant trust within the Hungarian market and has maintained its position as the market leader for seven consecutive years (2015-2022), currently holding the second place as of 2023.

In the latest announcement, Suzuki revealed plans to invest HUF 9.3 billion (EUR 24,524,011) in Hungary, allowing them to expand production capacity and establish a more sustainable, carbon-neutral Esztergom plant.

Red Sea and the Houthis

The Houthis, an Iran-backed rebel group, regard Israel as their enemy and are known for targeting ships passing through the Red Sea. Notably, they avoid attacking Russian and Chinese vessels. Although Iran denies involvement, there is clear evidence of Tehran’s support for the Houthis. Recent reports indicate that the rebels are employing Iranian drones to target not only merchant ships but also British and US military vessels.

Last week, Tesla and Volvo also announced temporary suspensions of production at their European factories.

As we wrote earlier, Hungary provides significant support for automotive promoters, details HERE.

In other news, a Chinese electric car brand is to be available in Hungary first in the region, find more information HERE.

UPDATE

Nearly two thousand workers will be directly affected by the production line shutdown, but the company stressed that this will not affect workers’ wages, according to VG.

Suzuki produces around 650 cars a day in Esztergom, so

the one-week shutdown will mean that around 4,550 vehicles will not be finished.

According to the factory, this shortfall will be made up later and in the future parts will be delivered via an alternative route.

The ships are being rerouted, and production is expected to resume on Jan 22, the company’s communications head said.

January 15, 2024

VIDEO, PHOTOS: Hungarian library opened in the United Arab Emirates

Yesterday, the first Hungarian library opened in the United Arab Emirates, in Dubai’s International Business Tower, in the 1007 office. Congratulations to the enthusiastic founders and everybody who contributed to the successful project!

Kinga Judit Szabó has been living in the United Arab Emirates for 12 years. It was the successful businesswoman’s idea to create a Hungarian library in Dubai. She even donated her books to it, Magyar Nemzet wrote.

She wrote in a Facebook post that there were more than 5,000 Hungarians who live in the United Arab Emirates. She added that every Hungarian living in the UAE is an extraordinary person.

However, the Hungarian community there did not have a library before, even though Hungarian books can help them preserve their language, cultural heritage, and traditions. That is why she created the new library. She added that the entrance fee was one Hungarian book.

Visitors can find Hungarian classics from Mór Jókai to Magda Szabó in the library just like 20th century writers like Hrabal. Furthermore, there are children’s and popular science books, as well.

Here is a video and some photos of what the library looks like:

After the opening ceremony, she shared the following post and thanked for the help of the Hungarian Embassy in Abu Dhabi. “The opening ceremony was truly humbling, and I am extremely touched by the amount of people who showed up. We are building an amazing community for the Hungarians living in the UAE”, she added.

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January 7, 2024

Here is what the Orbán cabinet wants in the Middle East

Hungary is committed to peace and rest in the Middle East and is calling for avoiding an escalation of the situation there, the foreign minister said on Friday.

“We condemn all forms of terrorism and the killing of innocent people. That is why we condemn the terrorist attack carried out in the city of Kerman which has claimed countless lives and offer our condolences to the relatives of the victims,” Péter Szijjártó said on Facebook.

He expressed hope that the attack would not escalate into further violence in the region, saying that such a development would have unforeseeable consequences.

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Orbán cabinet purges Budapest ticket, pass scheme: chaos may come in March – Read more HERE

January 6, 2024

These airlines may carry passengers from Budapest to Asian cities

In the future network of Hong Kong airlines, there is a Budapest-Hong Kong direct flight. According to the Hungarian ambassador in Kuwait, they would need a direct connection between the Persian Gulf state and the Hungarian capital.

According to Budflyer, a Hungarian air travel-focused Facebook page, the Chinese air travel authority gave green light for a direct connection between Budapest and Hong Kong. Based on Hong Kong Airlines’ permit, the company can operate cargo and passenger flights in 257 directions. Among those are Budapest, Bucharest, Prague, Vienna, Warsaw, Belgrade, and Zagreb. That means the airline would like to expand in the Central European region.

Based on another post, András Szabó, Hungary’s ambassador in Kuwait, told local media in an interview that Hungary and Kuwait need a direct flight connection. He added he would have to work a lot to establish the Budapest-Kuwait direct flight but hoped that they would be able to launch it next year. “That is an important issue for us”, he highlighted.

According to previous plans, such a direct flight would have started this June, operated by Kuwait Airways. However, the company erased the flight from its booking system shortly before the first flight was due. They did not explain the decision.

Meanwhile, Korean Air said they would stop cargo service between Seoul and Budapest via Frankfurt. The decision lacked an explanation and a deadline. Direct cargo flights between the two capitals started in February 2020. The planes commuted twice a week at the beginning. After passenger flights started, the number of flights decreased to one. Capacities lost will be replaced by their Vienna cargo and B787-9 Dreamliner passenger flights commuting thrice a week.

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December 15, 2023

Hungarian President talks about demographic ice age

Hungary’s president met Shaikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the mother of the president of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on Saturday.

Shaikha Fatima bint Mubarak is well-known and respected for her humanitarian activity in the Emirates. Her foundation supports health-care, education and welfare institutions.

Katalin Novak and Shaikha Fatima bint Mubarak agreed on the importance of families and the need to support families, “which form the basis of society”, the president’s office said on Saturday.

In connection with demographic issues, Novak recalled her address given at the climate summit on Friday, when she spoke about how the family was not the problem was the solution to climate change. Novak said that in her opinion, climate change, poverty, inequality, biological diversity, water and “the demographic ice age” could only be tackled together. “We must protect the Earth for our children,” she said.

Novak addressed the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai on Friday before conducting bilateral talks with Cypriot president Nikos Christodoulides, Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh, Mongolian president Uhnagin Hurelszuh, King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Polish president Andrzej Duda and Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, among others.

On Saturday, the Hungarian president will attend the national holiday of the United Arab Emirates. December 2, the anniversary of the unification of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the other emirates is being celebrated with fireworks and other spectacles.

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Hungarian President met Charles III and pharaoh-researcher Hungarian archaeologists in Egypt – Read more HERE
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December 3, 2023

Government wants to avoid escalation in the Middle East

Middle East escalation Hungarian government

The most important goal continues to be to avoid the escalation of the “worrying” situation in the Middle East, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Facebook on Friday, after phone talks with Abdallah Bou Habib, his Lebanese counterpart.

Szijjártó said the anti-terrorist operations must be prevented from escalating into a war between countries and called for every possible effort to prevent the opening of further fronts in Israel and its neighbourhood.

Szijjártó welcomed that the Lebanese government also had an interest in preventing an escalation.

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December 2, 2023

Hungarian minister also discussed EU enlargement and the situation in the Middle East in Vienna

János Bóka, the minister for European Union affairs, on Tuesday met Karoline Edtstadler, the Austrian Federal Minister for the EU and Constitution, in Vienna for bilateral talks on EU enlargement, strengthening competitiveness and the situation in the Middle East.

EU competitiveness will be the central focal point of the Hungarian presidency in the second half of 2024, Bóka told a press conference after the talks. All other priorities will be derived from that, and see Austria as a reliable partner in that aim, he said.

Regarding the bloc’s enlargement, Hungary’s stance had always been unequivocal, he said. “If the EU used its resourcefulness to advance the enlargement process rather than to hinder it, the countries of the Western Balkans would have become members long ago.”

On the matter of Ukraine’s accession, the member states must conduct an “open and honest” strategic debate before making the decision, he said.

Bóka said the debate would have to decide whether “accession talks with a country at war with a neighbouring nuclear power” would strengthen or weaken the EU. The member states will also have to determine the aim of the talks, “whether we want to spread peace or import war into the EU“.

The European solution to illegal migration should also be based on a consensus, possibly one rooted in an aim that “we, rather than people smugglers, should decide who we want to allow into the country”. The EU’s migration pact has failed to deliver results, he said.

Bóka said that member states had started to look for opportunities outside of the pact. The agreement between Austria, Hungary and Romania “has already yielded results”, he said.

In the Middle East, Hungary has an interest in freeing the hostages, including the Hungarian citizens, and in preventing escalation and enabling Israel in “exercising self-defence effectively”, he said.

Regarding the Hungarian presidency, Bóka said the government would strive to cooperate with all member states as an “honest and impartial mediator”.

Edtstadler said the talks were “open and honest”.

She noted that Austria is Hungary’s third largest trading partner and one of its largest investors. Some 1,400 Austrian companies employ around 1,400 people in the country, she said.

While Austria and Hungary hold different views on a number of issues, “the EU is a democracy and the exchange of opinions is important”, she said.

Hungary and Austria are on the same side on illegal migration, she added.

November 15, 2023

Hungarian FM: Hungary, Guatemala together stand for Christian values

Hungary and Guatemala together stand for Christian values, traditional family model in international politics, even if this goes against the liberal mainstream, the minister of foreign affairs and trade said on Thursday.

Péter Szijjártó said in Guatemala City that his visit was an event of diplomatic history as high-level visits had never taken place between the two countries hitherto.

He said Hungary was determined to pursue international relations based on connectivity and cultured, civilised cooperation, and wanted links between Hungary and Guatemala, too, to follow the same direction.

Considering the great distance between the two countries, the securest basis for cooperation was interpersonal relations, he said, and an agreement enabling twenty students from Guatemala to study in Hungarian universities with a scholarship each year was in the pipeline, he added.

Economic cooperation, he said, was increasingly active, with the annual value of trade doubling last year, reaching a record 7 million dollars, while growth in trade so far this year has been 19 percent.

“The first Hungarian companies have arrived in the Guatemala market in the areas of health care, the food industry, and IT,” he said.

Notwithstanding their geographical distance, both countries see almost eye to eye regarding the most important global challenges, he said, adding that both were “under attack” by the international liberal mainstream because they took their Christian traditions seriously, stressing the importance of protecting the traditional family model.

According to a ministry statement, Szijjártó noted that families in Hungary enjoy constitutional protections such as the statement that “the mother is a woman and the father a man”.

Both countries, he said, were “proud of their culture and national characteristics” and refused to give them up.

Szijjártó said both Hungary and Guatemala were eying the war in the Middle East with “deep concern”.

He said it was important not to lose sight of how the conflict started. “Israel was hit by a terrorist attack…” he said.

“Terrorism must be eradicated; such an attack must not take place ever again.”

Every effort, he added, must be made to avoid the emergence of a war between countries in the Middle East, as “this could lead to unforeseeable consequences”.

November 9, 2023

Hungarian President: Security key for Hungary

Security is crucial for Hungary and its people, President Katalin Novák said after talks with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels on Wednesday.

Hungary’s NATO membership ensures security “both for the country and its region”, Novák told reporters. “Peace and stability are of paramount importance for Hungary,” she said.

Hungary contributes to NATO’s missions and will soon meet its commitment to raising its defence spending to two percent of GDP, Novák said. The presence of Hungarian troops in the Western Balkans contributes to peace and stability in the region, she added.

Meanwhile, Novák said Hungary supported Ukraine’s right to self-defence and would continue to provide humanitarian aid to that country. Hungary condemns Russia’s aggression against a sovereign Ukraine, she added. “The most important task is to find ways to peace,” she said, and called for a ceasefire and peace talks.

Novák also ruled out the possibility of any ties between Hungary and Russia “which could undermine [Hungary’s] ties with its allies and commitments within NATO as well as in the European Union“.

Concerning the Middle East, Novák said Hungary deeply sympathised with Israel and condemned the “brutal attack” it had suffered. The conflict, she said, focused international attention on the importance of stability in the region.

Answering a question about Sweden’s NATO accession, Novák said it would “contribute to reinforcing NATO and increasing common security”.

Novák noted the importance of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine, saying it was “highly important to honour minority rights especially when a country has ambitions to join our alliances”.

Resolution of issues around the Hungarian community in Ukraine is “necessary for Hungary to maintain its supportive stance towards Ukraine’s fights”, she said.

November 9, 2023

The Egyptian pyramids came closer to Hungary: new Wizz Air flights

The Hungarian low-cost airline is continuously expanding in the Middle East, Africa and Asia and the new flights perfectly fit into that pattern. From mid-October, Wizz Air began to serve passengers on the Budapest-Cairo and Budapest-Sharm el-Sheikh routes. Therefore, the pyramids and the Red Sea became more easily reachable for tourists, travelling from Hungary’s Budapest Airport.

According to Hello Magyar, Wizz Air operates three weekly flights to Cairo and Sharm-el-Sheikh from October. The planes take off on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Budapest Airport. Those travelling to Cairo may check out ancient Egypt with its pyramids, sphinx and many other cultural and historical artefacts and buildings. Meanwhile, in Sharm-el-Shekih you may spend a Mediterranean holiday, even in the midst of winter, with scuba diving, surfing and bathing in the balmy waters.

Kam Jandu, the CEO of the Budapest Airport, was pleased to announce the new flights to Egypt. He underlined the significant demand for the Cairo and Sharm-el-Sheikh flights, which he expects to remain well sought-after in the winter season as well. Both flights are priced affordably. You may purchase your tickets from HUF 16,070 (EUR 42). The first Sharm el-Sheikh flight took off on 22 October, while the first plane left Budapest for Cairo today. Here is Budapest Airport’s post on that:

Wizz Air is to offer more flights to Hurghada, Abu Dhabi, Madeira, Tenerife, Alicante, Madrid and Milan. Furthermore, they will expand the number of flights to Basel and Keflavík.

We reported earlier HERE that the Hungarian Competition Authority launched a new investigation against Wizz Air following passenger complaints concerning their online ticket sales. Meanwhile, the low-cost airline might open new routes to Africa’s Rwanda soon. Read our article HERE on that.

October 31, 2023

Hungarian plane exploded, widower struggles to bury his late wife

A Hungarian aircraft blew up and plunged into the sea, claiming the lives of all on board, their remains lost in the depths of the sea. The only wish of a Hungarian stewardess’s widower is to lay his spouse to rest, yet the task appears impossible.

According to Blikk, a Hungarian news outlet, Malév’s TU-154 passenger carrier met its tragic fate on 30 September 1975, when it was probably shot, and thus, it crashed into the sea. Mr Németh, who lost his 24-year-old wife, a flight attendant who worked on board of the ill-fated plane, remains haunted by the enigma of the Hungarian aircraft and its people, vanishing into the abyss of the deep sea.

However, László Németh, the Hungarian widower, clings to the hope of recovering his long-lost wife’s earthly remains and giving her a proper burial. Based on some sources, nearly half a century ago, Lebanese rescue teams managed to retrieve some of the victims. Still, these claims do little to console the grief-stricken widower.

Mr Németh recalls that soon after the tragedy, speculations arose that the Hungarian plane had carried weaponry and fighters to support the Palestinian cause against Israel, as the Soviet Union backed that struggle, while the USA aided Israel. According to this narrative, the Hungarian plane fell victim to one of the numerous peripheral conflicts of the Cold War.

Passengers aboard the Hungarian plane had no chance of survival

Mr Németh believes the Hungarian government could obtain information from the Americans about what actually happened. However, there has been little attempts made. Up to this day, we only know that the plane blew up probably because it was hit by a land-air rocket.

Fifty passengers were travelling on the 160-seat plane, with only one Hungarian among them, László’s 24-year-old wife. There were Australians, Finns, Duch and Angolans. Additionally, the cargo hold contained metal or wooden crates bearing the inscription “Videoton,” one of Hungary’s major companies during the Socialist-Communist era. These crates were stowed in place of the removed seats.

Radio communication faltered 10 kilometres before the plane’s arrival in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. According to British air force officer Tom Norcross, the aircraft now rests 800-1,000 meters beneath the sea’s surface. Technically, there are no obstacles to its retrieval. However, this has not occurred to date. Mr Németh firmly believes that everyone deserves a proper burial.

Blikk reports that the Hungarian government established a fund for this purpose in 2007 but has never utilised it. In 2003, a report was issued stating that no evidence remained regarding the tragedy. This MALÉV plane catastrophe represents the world’s largest air disaster without a transparent investigation.

HERE is an article about an American plane crashed in Hungary. And in THIS article, you may read about a Hungarian plane crashed in Sweden.

Featured image: Illustration

October 30, 2023