Based on Szabad Európa’s diplomatic sources, Chad’s President, Mahamat Déby, will visit Budapest next week, as the programme appears in the diplomatic schedule of the two countries. The Chadian President is in Beijing and plans to visit Budapest before returning home. He was due to come in June, but owing to the violent clashes between the army and Islamist groups, he could not.
According to Szabad Európa, plans are about multiple high-level meetings and bilateral agreements covering defence cooperation, Hungarian economic aid, joint fight against international terrorism, halting illegal migration, and strengthening cultural ties.
Signing the defence cooperation would mean that the mission of 200 Hungarian soldiers can start in the unstable Central African country within the framework of a complex support programme.
Gáspár Orbán’s (the Hungarian prime minister’s only son) presence during the negotiations in N’Djamena raised alarms for opposition politicians who want to know what interests the Hungarian soldiers will protect in the country. Some sources saidbefore that the Orbán cabinet would like to gain access to uranium reserves to aid Russian interests, which is why the prime minister sent his son to the country. Others saidthe Chad mission was Orbán Jr’s idea, and that it would serve the extension of Hungary’s influence in far-away regions to find new business opportunities.
Azbej Tristan, the head of the Hungary Helps Programme, told 24.hu that Captain Orbán was in Chad as an officer of the Hungarian Defence Forces.
Azbej Tristan said farewell to Chad before. Hungarian soldiers may go to the country now. Photo: FB/Azbej Tristan
Szabad Európa wrote that the French would help Hungarian soldiers since the Hungarian Defence Forces did not have the experience and equipment for such a complex mission.
Opposition politicians fear the entire mission serves only the interests of some government-close business circles.
Official explained why Hungary helps Africa’s Chad
Hungary’s aid to preserve stability in Chad is serving, among other goals, to curb the number of migrants to Europe and to protect Christians, the state secretary for aiding persecuted Christians told public television on Friday.
External help is crucial to preserve stability in central Africa, a region blighted by political instability, desertification, food scarcity and religious persecution, especially that of Christians, Tristan Azbej said. This could lead to tens of millions of migrants leaving the region for Europe, which would have “unforseen consequences” for the continent, he warned.
Chad has an outstanding role as a country that, even though one third of its citizens are in need of humanitarian aid, acccepts the fifth highest number of refugees in the world, Azbej said. That warrants preserving the stability of the current government, he added.
The government’s Hungary Helps programme offers help in handling acute crises such as the aftermath of natural disasters, and supports the counts with medical, engineering and agricultural expertise, Azbej, who is also head of the programme, said.
Chad and the neighbouring countries are home to the most migrants in the world, Azbej said. “Whatever happens in the Sahel impacts the future of Africa and Europe. If people living here can see their future in their own country, the migration weighing on Europe may ease … but if the stability of the countries here crumples one by one, we may be facing a general disaster of migration,” he said.
Photo: FB/Azbej Tristan
In the wake of surging Islamist terrorism in the region, the persecution of Christians is also a significant problem, he said. Hungary is supporting the Chad government’s efforts to ensure the peaceful co-existence of Muslims and Christians, he added.
Read also:
PM Orbán’s only son, Captain Orbán serves in an African country – read more HERE
Speaker of Parliament László Kövér met Puan Maharani, his Indonesian counterpart, for talks in Budapest on Thursday.
According to information from parliament’s press office, Kövér informed his counterpart about the Hungarian government’s commitment to deepening relations with partners in Southeast Asia with the aim of finding joint answers to global challenges.
“Indonesia, the third largest parliamentary democracy in the world … with its tolerant values is a key Asian partner for Hungary,” the statement quoted Kövér as saying.
Photo: MTI
Apart from strengthening inter-governmental ties, Kövér said it was important to boost relations between the two countries’ parliaments, adding that exchange in the latter area was regular.
Puan is also scheduled to meet members of the Hungarian-Indonesian Friendship Group of parliament.
Speaker of Parliament László Kövér met Wolfgang Sobotka, the president of the Austrian National Council, in Vienna on Tuesday, the parliament’s press office said.
The working lunch focused on the priorities of Hungary’s presidency of the European Council, economic and border protection cooperation, as well as stopping illegal migration, the statement said. Kövér and Sobotkaalso touched on support for the EU integration of Western Balkans states, the conflict in Gaza, anti-Semitism in Europe and the war in Ukraine.
Kövér and Sobotka welcomed an expanding cooperation between the two parliaments, through regular meetings of the heads of parliaments and cooperation between expert committees and friendship groups.
Sobotka and Kövér in Vienna. Photo: MTI
Kövér thanked Sobotka for Austria’s help in border protection, especially for deploying policemen to the Hungary-Serbia border, the statement said. At the same time, he said the European Commission’s decision to levy fines against Hungary over issues regarding migration policy were “unacceptable”.
Sobotka said Austria supported the priorities of the Hungarian presidency, especially those connected to “ushering the Western Balkans into the European Union” and to fighting illegal migration.
At the same time, Sobotka expressed concerns over what he called the Hungarian government’s “discriminative” interference into the food retail sector and the construction industry, and called for further talks on the matter. Kövér proposed to table the issue at the Austria-Hungary economic roundtable.
Sobotka and Kövér both praised their countries’ growing tourism, and Kövér said he hoped Austrian tourists’ interest in Hungary would grow even further.
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Péter Magyar, whose Tisza Party has become the second biggest Hungarian political community after the 9 June European parliamentary elections and is now leading the Hungarian opposition, invited Ursula von der Leyen to Hungary.
Von Der Leyen may come to Hungary to deny “Fidesz propaganda’s lies”
According to his Facebook post, Magyar, Zoltán Tarr, the leader of Tisza’s EP group, and the later re-elected European Commission head had a pleasant conversation in Brussels yesterday early afternoon. Magyar said he invited von der Leyen to an official visit to Hungary this autumn to meet Hungarian people personally.
In her response, von der Leyen said she would come happily to Hungary to inform Hungarians about her work for Europe and Hungary. “A personal visit would allow denying the Fidesz propaganda lies related to her”, Magyar highlighted.
Photo: FB/Magyar Péter
Fidesz: Von der Leyen makes ‘political deal’ in order to be reelected
Ursula von der Leyen has made “a political deal with the European Parliament’s pro-war majority in order to be reelected” European Commission president, Tamás Deutsch, MEP of Hungary’s ruling Fidesz, told a press conference in Strasbourg on Thursday.
“There has been a clear political pact; the EP’s pro-war majority expects von der Leyen to attack [Hungarian PM] Viktor Orban’s peace mission as sharply as possible in return for their votes,” Deutsch said.
Photo: FB/Tamás Deutsch
Deutsch criticised the opposition Tisza party’s MEPs Peter Magyar and Istvan Tarr for having made “an oath of allegiance” to “pro-war and pro-migrant” von der Leyen, who he said was “further amplifying the gender frenzy”, and insisted that Hungary’s “dollar left” and its “new opposition” were now acting as “Brussels’s humble servants”.
Europe is now weaker, the MEP believes
Asked if Russia’s attack on a children’s hospital in Kyiv just the day after Orbán visited Moscow had cast a shadow on the prime minister’s “peace mission”, Deutsch said “we hope proactive steps taken in order to achieve peace will be successful and such tragedies can be prevented; with no war, there will be no victims.”
Kinga Gál, another MEP of Fidesz, said the Patriots for Europe group had not supported von der Leyen’s reelection. “Europe is now weaker than five years ago, partly as a result of von der Leyen’s decisions,” Gál said. “She does nothing for peace and Europe is getting closer to a conflict. She has forced the migration pact to be adopted rather than protecting the EU’s external borders. She has failed to protect our children and she now continues to promote gender ideology. Through her extreme green policies she has in fact destroyed farmers, weakened Europe’s competitiveness, not to mention the sanctions policy which has impacted the energy security of the whole of Europe.”
Read also:
EU parliament condemned PM Orbán’s visit to Moscow – Read more HERE
PM Viktor Orbán regularly spends his holidays at the Croatian seashore, preferably on an Adriatic Island. Now, a restaurant owner posted a photo of him and Orbán of them and wrote something interesting as caption.
Orbán awaits Putin and Trump in Croatia
According to the playful owner, they wait for Trump and Putin, who are late. In the photo, the two of them can be seen with clenched fists, probably referring to the assassination attempt against President Trump last Saturday.
Here is the photo:
PM Orbán prefers to spend his holiday in Croatia. In 2022, he was on a motorboat journey where a Croatian journalist rescuedhim and his wife after the boat motor broke down. Later that summer a photo was postedof him seemingly wearing a T-shirt depicting Russia.
Orbán will travel to the UK
However, it seems this year’s vacation will not last long. He is expected to attend European Political Community meeting in the United Kingdom this Thursday.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will attend the fourth European Political Community (EPC) summit at Blenheim Palace near Oxford on Thursday, the prime minister’s press chief has said.
At the summit, the leaders of 47 European countries are set to discuss support for Ukraine, along with shared challenges such as energy, connectivity, security, democracy and migration, Bertalan Havasi told MTI on Wednesday.
Established in 2022 at the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron, the EPC is an intergovernmental forum for political and strategic debates on Europe’s future.
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A Croatian restaurant doesn’t serve Hungarians – HEREis why with PHOTO
Exhausted Viktor Orbán spendsa three-week vacation at the Adriatic
As part of his peace mission, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met former US president Donald Trump on Thursday evening, the PM’s press chief said in a statement.
Based on Bloomberg, the Orbán-Trump summit shortly after the Orbán-Putin meeting strengthens worries that the Hungarian prime minister mediates between Trump and Putin. The Republican presidential candidate voiced several times that he would end the war in Ukraine and bring all American citizens home from Russian prisons.
Based on anonymous insiders talking to 444.hu, Trump did not ask the Hungarian prime minister to help hammer out a Ukrainian-Russian peace agreement. The source said the meeting was informal.
About the Orbán-Trumpmeeting, Bertalan Havasi, Orbán’s press chief, said that prospects for peace were discussed in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
Foreign minister: ‘Massive tragedy’ if NATO turned into ‘anti-China bloc’
Whereas Hungary backs NATO cooperation with Indo-Pacific countries, this must not come at the expense of the potential “massive tragedy” of forming an “anti-China bloc” Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said on the closing day of the NATO summit in Washington, DC on Thursday.
Szijjártó said it was “fine” if NATO focused on cooperation in the Indian Ocean region but only as long as it was not “directed against someone”. He said Hungary would not support “anyone pushing NATO’s Indo-Pacific relations in the direction of NATO becoming an anti-China bloc. That would be a massive tragedy.”
He said the world was already experiencing blockades, which were not in Hungary’s interests, “so we don’t want NATO to be an alliance against anyone”.
The minister welcomed that Indo-Pacific partnerships embraced “friendly countries such as South Korea and Japan”, noting their major role in Hungary’s economy and “automotive revolution”.
But NATO must take into consideration its role as a defence alliance when building foreign relations, he said. “We cannot become an aggressor alliance” and form “an anti-China bloc,” he added.
Read also:
PM Orbán arrived in Washington while NATO allies call him Putin’s useful idiot – Read more HERE
PM Orbán: NATO’s task is not to win wars – Details in THISarticle
Péter Magyar, the deputy leader of the opposition Tisza Party, has handed over humanitarian aid to the children’s hospital in Kyiv that was hit by a rocket earlier in the week.
Magyarshared a videorecording of his trip on social media.
The politician spoke about the Russian attack and its aftermath with Volodymyr Zhovnyr, the hospital’s head. He said the “Hungarian people understand and know” that Ukraine had the right to defend its territory.
Magyar said he, too, wanted peace but “does not travel on a private jet to meet dictators and conduct secret negotiations…”
He added that his visit showed that “Ukrainian brothers and Hungarians in Ukraine” could count on Hungary.
Read also:
Historic Orbán-Zelensky meeting: trust rebuilt, ceasefire on the horizon? – Read more HERE
Foreign minister: NATO having ‘serious dilemmas’ concerning war in Ukraine
NATO has “serious dilemmas” concerning the war in Ukraine, “especially since members states sharply reject dialogue with Russia, yet Israel is being pressed by half the world to start negotiations with a terrorist organisation to settle the Gaza conflict,” Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said in Washington, DC on Thursday.
Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine council, Szijjarto said Ukraine’s NATO integration would not strengthen but weaken the organisation, adding that “members have different positions on the matter, even if some do not publicly promote them”.
Ukraine joining NATO would not strengthen NATO’s image as a defence organisation since the move would “openly trigger the risk of war between NATO and Russia”.
“When we Hungarians and our central European friends … joined, it reinforced NATO, its unity and its character as a defence organisation; the same could not be said of Ukraine’s possible entry,” he said, adding that “the greatest care should be taken when talking about Ukraine’s possible membership.”
While Israel is under pressure to have talks with Hamas, “in the case of the Ukraine war, diplomatic ties are cut and channels of communication closed; and if anyone proposes talks they are instantly stigmatised,” Szijjarto said.
“This is so strange and controversial that one cannot help thinking that something is going on in the background that we are not aware of… There could be negotiations in the background, but to cover those up, they will be hysterically reacting to any suggestions aimed at negotiations,” the minister said.
He said fresh data showing that trade turnover between the US and Russia had increased by 50 percent in May “raises further doubt”. He said that Russian exports to the US were supported by sales of uranium, “which is interesting because Washington is trying to press Europe to cut its nuclear cooperation with Russia”.
“We will continue to promote dialogue and activise diplomatic channels, because the strategy the north-Atlantic and European world have represented for two and a half years seems to have failed entirely,” Szijjarto said. “More and more people are dying in the war” in the wake of the shipments of arms to Ukraine, posing a “brutal risk of escalation”, he said. Szijjarto called for “a different strategy centred around revitalising diplomatic ties and dialogue”.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán discussed Hungary’s peace mission with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Washington, DC on Tuesday, the PM’s press chief said.
Orbánasked Erdoganto back the peace mission, noting that Türkiye had been the only country so far to successfully mediate between the sides in the Russia-Ukraine war, Bertalan Havasi said.
Orbán wrote in his recent Facebook post that he would like to preserve the NATO for what it was founded 75 years ago: a defence alliance.
Hungary urges NATO to take ‘greater role’ in Ukraine peace initiative
The time has come for NATO “to take on a greater role in the peace mission for Ukraine and in starting meaningful talks”, Lorinc Nacsa, the head of the Hungarian delegation at the NATO parliamentary summit under way in Washington, DC, said late on Tuesday.
Nacsa noted that Hungary was not participating in NATO’s coordination mission concerning Ukraine, adding that the country “has received guarantees from the incumbent and incoming secretary generals”.
Below: peace mission with President Erdogan:
Nacsa called for coordinated international action to tackle global challenges such as security risks, wars, terrorism and illegal migration. The parliamentary summit was attended by deputies of the 32 NATO members and Ukraine.
EU affairs minister: Hungary to represent those ‘wanting change’
During its presidency of the Council of the European Union, Hungary will represent those wanting change and “will keep the hope for change alive in the next institutional cycle”, Hungary’s minister for EU affairs said in Brussels on Tuesday.
Speaking at an event at the Brussels headquarters of the Foundation for a Civic Hungary, János Boka said the EP elections “have clearly shown not only that change is necessary, but also that there is a yearning for change, as Europeans themselves have clearly expressed”.
Political forces campaigning for change had strengthened and those standing for the status quo had suffered losses, Boka said.
He said that over the last five years the EU “could have done a lot more to become a global player on its own that is capable of identifying and enforcing its own strategic interests” and taking responsibility for its own security. But during this time the bloc “hasn’t done anything” to resolve the migration crisis, defend its external borders or explore the “innovative solutions” that would have facilitated this, he said. Neither had the EU managed to reverse the decline in its economic competitiveness or provide a perspective for European agriculture, he added.
The Hungarian presidency will work to address these issues, Boka said.
Read also:
PM Orbán arrived in Washington while NATO allies call him Putin’s useful idiot – Read more HERE
Hungarian government prepares ‘anti-war action plan’ – Details in THISarticle
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has arrived in Washington, DC., where he will take part in a three-day NATO summit, the PM’s press chief said on Tuesday.
The prime minister’s plane, like those of the other NATO leaders, landed at Andrews Air Force Base, Bertalan Havasi told MTI. Orbán is also scheduled to hold bilateral talks with the leaders of NATO member states.
After Orbán’s “peace mission” in Moscow and Russia’s missile attack against Ukrainian hospitals treating children suffering from cancer, Jan Lipavský, Czechia’s foreign minister, referred to Orbán as a useful idiot of President Putin in a tweet shared on X. Lipavský also wrote about the Washington NATO summit, which, he believes, will “push for a long-term strategy to contain Russia.”
While the useful idiots are rambling about peace with Putin, he is sending missiles to a children’s hospital. I’m currently heading to the NATO summit to push for a long-term strategy to contain Russia. One cannot yield to aggression. pic.twitter.com/Og5Kvln6b8
Helmut Brandstätter, an Austrian liberal MEP, called Orbán a clown in a tweet. “Look at the pictures of the children’s hospital in Kyiv and shut up”, he wrote.
You are a clown! putin is killing children just one day after you met him. And you talk about peace??? Look at the pictures of the childrens hospital in Kyiv and shut up! https://t.co/0hWiKnqUbw
— Helmut Brandstätter (@HBrandstaetter) July 8, 2024
Orbán sets historic record
Hungary took the EU presidency last week, and Orbán has been busy meeting some of the world’s top leaders in recent days. On 2 July, he visited President Zelensky in Kyiv, then went to Moscow, Beijing and now arrived in Washington. That is a historic record in such a short time.
Experts believe that even though some world leaders do not agree with Orbán’s position on many issues, they find his opinion interesting enough to meet him on last-minute visits.
PM Viktor Orbán and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on 8 July 2024. Photo: MTI/Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Benko Vivien Cher
In Washington, Orbán is expected to talk with President Joe Biden and even former President Trump in the following days. Zoltán Kiszelly, the political director of Századvég, thinks Orbán will not find supporters for his peace mission, Blikk, a Hungarian tabloid, wrote.
Orbán cabinet: ceasefire, peace talks only solution to Ukraine war
A ceasefire and peace talks are the only solution to the Ukraine war, the foreign minister said on Tuesday. Péter Szijjártó said on Facebook that the situation was getting increasingly severe in the Ukraine-Russia war, with recent “heartbreaking” events involving children, “and this can be expected to deteriorate further”.
“There are more and more weapons and the war propaganda is getting stronger, with a severe looming danger of escalation,” he said. “We have been warning of this for weeks.”
“There’s only one solution; there’s only one way to stop the senseless destruction and massacre; there’s only one way to save people’s lives and prevent more severe developments: a ceasefire and peace talks”, Szijjártó said.
Kyiv, Moscow, Beijing, Washington: the government says they are on a peace mission:
He added that this was the reason why the Hungarian leadership was setting off “on a peace mission” and paying a visit to Washington, DC.
“We will represent this stance at the NATO summit: there is no solution on the battlefield,” he said. “It is impossible to comprehend why they cannot accept this.”
“Yet, the draft resolutions for the next three days demonstrate a total lack of understanding, with NATO set to launch a mission in support of Ukraine,” he said. “We will stay out of this; we won’t supply weapons, we won’t provide troops, and we will not take part in financing,” he added.
Read also:
Hungarian government prepares‘anti-war action plan’
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is attending the summit of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) in Shusha, Azerbaijan on July 5-6, the PM’s press chief said on Thursday.
The summit will focus on building a sustainable future in transport through connectivity and climate policy, Bertalan Havasi told MTI. The talks are aimed at advancing cooperation in this field among the organisation’s members. The summit will also cover the OTS’s relations with the European Union and other international organisations.
Orbánis also scheduled to hold bilateral talks with the leaders of Hungary’s Turkic partner countries on the sidelines of the summit.
Government official briefs Shanghai conference on Hungary policy aims
Gergely Fábián, the state secretary for industry policy and technology, on Thursday presented the Hungarian government’s policy aims regarding artificial intelligence at the 2024 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, the ministry said in a statement.
At the conference organised between July 4 and 6 by the Chinese science and technology ministry, Fábián said Hungary and China were both committed to maintaining dialogue and cooperation in technology, especially in telecommunications and electromobility.
He presented Hungarian policy aims concerning AI and attended the AI global governance cooperation panel discussion where he talked about Hungary’s stance on an international cooperation agreement in the works on the harmonised coordination of human-centered AI, the statement said.
Fábián highlighted the importance of international responsibility and cooperation in facilitating the sector’s development and elaborating the general principles and methods of regulation, the ministry statement said.
The conference is focused on innovation, science, technology and industry development, the statement said.
Read also:
Weltwoche: Zelensky did not like PM Orbán’s idea about the ceasefire – Read more HERE
Historic Orbán-Zelensky meeting: trust rebuilt, ceasefire on the horizon? – PHOTOS, VIDEOS and more in THISarticle
PM Viktor Orbán was in Moscow in September 2022, attending the funeral of Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev. A Hungarian investigative journalist and several media outlets learnt from independent sources that the prime minister will travel again to Moscow to meet Putin.
PM Orbán travels to Moscow on Friday
This comes after an Orbán-Zelensky summit in Kyiv this week. The two leaders settled the conflicting issues between the two countries, based on the official communiqué, including even the state of the Transcarpathian Hungarians. However, Zelensky rejected Orbán’s ceasefire plan, saying that a ceasefire would only allow the Russians to gather new forces and continue their attack in the future.
Orbánnow plans to travel to Moscow tomorrow to meet President Putin. The first one writing about the visit was Szabolcs Panyi, a Hungarian investigative journalist this afternoon. VSquare and Direkt 36 confirmed that information with the help of independent Central European sources. Based on their information, FM Szijjártó will accompany the prime minister on his journey. Szijjártó talked on the phone while Orbánnegotiated with President Zelensky this week.
The two leaders in Budapest before Russia’s full-scale attack. Photo: FB
Press chief Bertalan Havasi or other government officials did not confirm reports of the visit, but some European leaders find it a bad idea.
EU leaders shocked
President of the European Council Charles Michel said on X (Twitter) that the EU’s rotating presidency “has no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU.” He added that the European Council’s standpoint concerning the issue was clear: “Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim. No discussions about Ukraine can take place without Ukraine.”
The EU rotating presidency has no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU.
The European Council is clear: Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim. No discussions about Ukraine can take place without Ukraine.
Mr Michel was not the only one posting on Twitter following the news about the journey. Donald Tusk, Poland’s prime minister, wrote only one question: “The rumours about your visit to Moscow cannot be true @PM_ViktorOrban, or can they?”
The rumours about your visit to Moscow cannot be true @PM_ViktorOrban, or can they?
According to Radio Free Europe (RFE), an anonymous EU official said Orbán did not inform the EU about his planned trip to Moscow. The visit was confirmed by a Hungarian government source to the RFE.
Read also:
Historic Orbán-Zelensky meeting: trust rebuilt, ceasefire on the horizon? – PHOTOS, VIDEOS and more in THISarticle
PM Orbán foundednew European party in Vienna: Patriots for Europe
Ties between Hungary and Austria are “excellent”, President Tamás Sulyok’s office told MTI in a statement after talks between the presidents of the two countries in Vienna on Wednesday.
Hungary-Austria ties ‘excellent’, President says
Sulyok and Alexander Van der Bellen agreed that “in the current, extraordinary times good and balanced ties between neighbouring countries as well as regular communication are more important than ever,” the statement said, adding that bilateral economic and cultural ties were also excellent, based on a strategic partnership and centuries of historical contact.
According to the statement, Sulyok expressed his support to plans to open a Hungarian language secondary school in Vienna.
On the subject of traffic restrictions at the Hungary-Austria border, they agreed that finding an early resolution to the problems and ensuring smooth crossing was in the interest of both countries, the statement said, noting “constructive talks” between the two governments.
Sulyok informed his counterpart about objectives of Hungary’s European Union presidency, while both presidents highlighted the importance of increasing the EU’s competitiveness, adding that a speedy accession of the Western Balkans to the EU was crucial.
Sulyok also invited Van der Bellen to an official visit to Budapest.
Other meetings
According to the statement, Sulyok also met House Speaker Wolfgang Sobotka, and discussed issues around the war in Ukraine, and protection to the rights of ethnic minorities.
At the talks, Sulyok noted Hungary’s “zero tolerance for anti-Semitism” and expressed Hungary’s support for Israel and that country’s “right to self-defence”. Sulyok condemned all forms of terrorism, but added that “the Palestinian people and Hamas are not the same”.
Sulyok also noted that Vienna’s Collegium Hungaricum, “the first Hungarian cultural institution abroad”, was celebrating its first centenary this year.
After his talks, the president laid a wreath of commemoration at a monument of Hungarian physician Ignaz Semmelweis at Vienna’s medical university.
Photo: MTI
In a speech before the opening concert of Hungary’s EU presidency held in the evening, the president highlighted the importance of avoiding the erosion of European values and of preserving them “for the success of the European community”, as well as improving competitiveness.
Each member state should fulfil its tasks and duties
“We want to guarantee a good life for ourselves, our children and grandchildren, and we need a strong and stable Europe for that, one that is proud of its values,” Sulyok said.
“There is no need for a one-size-fits-all Europe, the free collision of opinions is a trademark of democracy,” he said.
The EU’s strength is in the “special nature and constitutions” of the individual member states, he added.
In the face of challenges, each member state should fulfil its tasks and duties “as they see fit, to the benefit of the entire community,” he said.
“It is not fair to doubt others’ goodwill and deep concern for the future of Europe.”
Sulyok added that Hungary was counting on Austria’s support during the presidency.
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Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Wednesday gave a video interview to conservative Swiss daily Weltwoche, and said that during his recent visit to Kyiv he had not aimed to convince President Volodymyr Zelensky but “gauge the limits of Kyiv’s stance regarding the peace process”.
Seeking position and limits
During the talks on Tuesday, Orbánsaid he had aimed to leave behind “the not too flourishing ties” of recent times between the two countries, and concentrate on the future. He said he had talked about the large Hungarian community in Ukraine, especially in territories that used to belong to Hungary, and suggested that Ukraine put forward an action plan that would be beneficial for Ukraine’s negotiations in the EU accession process as well as for the Hungarian minority.
Orbán said he had not tried to “convince” Zelensky, nor had he made proposals. He said he had aimed to clarify Zelensky’s “position and limits when we speak about peace”. Orbán said that as the head of the country holding the European presidency, he was planning to prepare a report on “the possibility of peace” for the European Council, as the current proposals were wasting time. He therefore asked Zelensky to first start a ceasefire to speed up negotiations, he said.
Orbán: Zelensky was not happy
Orbán said Zelensky “was not very happy with the idea, he had had bad experiences with previous ceasefires”. He understood Hungary’s position and “explained his limits”, Orbán said.
Here is a video of the journey to Kyiv from Budapest:
On the matter of the EU as a power in foreign policy, Orbán said the issue depended on the leaders of large European countries. “If the Germans, French and Italians are not coming together and making decisions and suggestions for the others,” but waste time on divvying up positions, change will not happen, he said.
Orbán said his talks in Berlin, Rome and Paris had been the start of a “peace mission.” He had tried “to convince the leaders that they should take the lead,” otherwise Europe will disappear from the international arena, he warned.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, visiting Kyiv on Tuesday, asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to consider a ceasefire tied to a deadline.
At a press conference held jointly with the Ukrainian president, Orbán thanked his host for the invitation, noting that they had agreed to today’s talks at their meeting in Brussels last Thursday.
Orbán said it was his first foreign trip after Hungary’s taking over the European Union’s presidency on Monday, adding: “Peace is important not only for Ukraine but for the whole of Europe.”
Orbán said he appreciated Zelensky’sinitiatives aimed at creating peace, but added that those initiatives would take a long time to come to fruition.
“The ways of international diplomacy are slow and complicated … I put it to the president that we should consider whether the order may be reversed by speeding up peace talks with a quick ceasefire,” Orbán said. “A ceasefire tied to a deadline, which could offer the opportunity to accelerate peace talks; I have assessed the options for that scenario,” he added.
Orbán said he had cleared those issues up with the Ukrainian president, adding he was grateful for the honest talks and answers. He said he would prepare a report for the European Council “that could be a baseline for the necessary European decisions”.
Hungary will help Ukraine, Orbán said
He wished success to Ukraine and said Hungary was “at Ukraine’s disposal” during its EU presidency, and would help wherever it could.
Orbán said he had come to Kyiv to achieve progress in bilateral ties. He called the talks constructive, adding a meeting had been long overdue in view of the many issues needing resolution, “over which we have negotiated and debated a lot in the past years”.
Photo: FB/Orbán
“We are trying to put the debates of the past behind us and concentrate on the period ahead of us,” he said.
Orbán said he wished that ties between Hungary and Ukraine were much better, adding that Hungary wanted to sign a comprehensive cooperation agreement with Ukraine, similarly to many of its other neighbours.
Hungary is also willing to take part in the modernisation of the Ukrainian economy, Orbán said, adding that the process required a regulated framework.
First Ukrainian school may open in Hungary
Regarding the situation of the ethnic Hungarian minority in Ukraine, Orbán said he saw a chance for progress. He welcomed Zelensky’s proposal to set up a Ukrainian school in Hungary. Hungary will fund the schools, “and set up as many as necessary. If there’s need for one, then one, and if there’s need for ten, then ten”, he said.
Ukrainians have always been present in Hungary, which also has a Ukrainian minority self-government, he said. At the same time, there are many more now with the influx of refugees, he added. Those families need care, work, a livelihood and security, and the children need adequate schools and good teachers, he said, adding it was important that Ukrainians in Hungary felt at home there.
The joint press conference:
Zelensky, Orbán agree to prepare bilateral agreement to overcome disagreements
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday said he and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had agreed to prepare a bilateral agreement aimed at overcoming disagreements between their countries.
“Everything we discussed today serves as a basis for a future bilateral document between our states which will regulate all segments of our relations and will be mutually beneficial for both countries,” Zelensky told a press conference after talks with Orbán. He added that this agreement would make it possible for Ukraine to benefit from “all the positives of European unity”.
Zelensky said he had proposed opening a Ukrainian school in Hungary for the Ukrainian children there, adding that Orbán had assured him of his support for the initiative.
He welcomed that the Hungarian prime minister’s first foreign trip after Hungary’s taking over the European Union’s presidency was to Ukraine. “This demonstrates our joint European priority,” he said. “It is important for there to be peace, so that we can put the strengthening of Europe on new foundations,” he said.
Zelensky grateful for Hungary’s support
Zelensky expressed his gratitude to Hungary for its humanitarian support for Ukraine, underlining that he believed that saving lives was the most important consideration. “Hungary is prepared to cooperate effectively in the interest of achieving long-term security in our region and Europe,” he said. Zelensky said he and Orbán had discussed in detail the ways Hungary could participate in the organisation of a second global peace summit, which Kyiv hopes could take place as early as later this year.
“We will be grateful to Hungary if it supports us in this,” he said. “It is important for Hungary’s EU presidency to be effective. Though our political views don’t always align, we both serve the strengthening of Europe, social progress and the economic prosperity of European businesses.”
Photo: FB/Orbán
Zelensky said Ukraine’s accession to the EU would be a long process, underlining the importance of Europe’s continued support for Ukraine and his country’s beneficial cooperation with all of its neighbours.
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President Zelensky booedat Rod Stewart’s Budapest concert
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán assumed the European Union Council’s rotating presidency yesterday, making his first official foreign visit to Kyiv. According to insiders, Orbán is scheduled to meet President Zelensky to discuss peace and the situation of Hungarians living in Transcarpathia, Ukraine’s westernmost region.
Orbán and Zelensky’s previous discussions
PM Viktor Orbán has been a vocal critic of Zelensky and his regime. He has repeatedly condemned European and NATO arms deliveries and delayed approval of a EUR 50 billion aid package for Ukraine.
Last week, the EU initiated membership talks with Ukraine, and Orbán met Zelensky at one of the forums to negotiate privately. It is likely they agreed to meet this week after Hungary took over the EU presidency, with peace being one of Budapest’s primary objectives.
According to 444.hu, PM Orbánhas already arrived in Kyiv. Bertalan Havasi, the Prime Minister’s press chief, stated that peace-making would be the primary topic of discussion. However, the leaders will also address Hungarian-Ukrainian bilateral relations.
The Financial Timesreports that this is Orbán’s first trip to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in February 2022. Insiders reveal that the two leaders spoke at last week’s EU summit in Brussels.
The two leaders met before. Photo: facebook.com/orbanviktor
Putin’s closest ally?
Reuters described Orbán as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest ally among EU leaders. The Guardian referred to Orbán’s visit as a surprise. A Ukrainian source mentioned that there could be last-minute changes to the visit. A source in Budapest confirmed to The Guardian that the rights of the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia would be a significant topic of discussion.
Yesterday, Zelensky congratulated Hungary on assuming the EU presidency:
Congratulations to Hungary on taking over the Presidency of the EU. I wish @HU24EU effectiveness in promoting our shared European values, goals, and interests. While advancing on its path to the EU, Ukraine is ready to contribute to these efforts and strengthen our Europe.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 1, 2024
The source mentioned that “It was a precondition for the meeting that the issue of nationality rights was resolved,” adding that “in recent weeks, an agreement has been reached. They will be able to announce this as a success.”
Orbán’s foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, has visited Ukraine and met top Ukrainian officials several times. Szijjártó stated that Orbán’s visit would only occur when a significant announcement could be made. It appears that time has come.
Rebuilding trust with Ukraine. Szijjártó met Ukrainian leaders before. Photo: FB/Szijjártó
Trump’s potential ceasefire
On Monday, Orbán stated in an interview with Hungarian public television that Hungary’s EU presidency offers a chance to “bring Europe closer to peace.” Following the attainment of the rotating EU presidency from Belgium in Brussels earlier in the day, Orbán emphasised that the war in Ukraine was currently the greatest challenge for Europe, but “if we are thinking about the future of Europe, we cannot overlook America”.
Referring to US presidential candidate Donald Trump’s pledge to end the Russia-Ukraine war, Orbán said a “Trump victory would at least result in a ceasefire”.
Trump and Orbán in Florida. Peace-makers? Photo: FB/Orbán
Orbán highlighted the need for Europe to be prepared as “sooner or later the Americans and the Russians will hold talks.” He added that the most critical questions would be Europe’s position in these talks and whose interests would be promoted.
Hungary cannot answer those questions, Orbán said, adding that as holder of the EU presidency, however, “it will table proposals and support the decisions of the 27 leaders”. “We will be present at all locations of importance for Europe, look at every situation and present reports to Europe’s leaders,” he stressed.
“Make Europe Great Again” – the Hungarian Presidency’s unpopular motto
When asked about European leaders’ reactions to the Hungarian presidency’s motto, “Make Europe Great Again,” Orbán mentioned that European leaders had “accepted” it. He argued that Europe, like the US, should strive to be a global political player.
Orbán stated that Hungary’s diplomacy was “open and straightforward” and that it would “call a spade a spade” in European debates. He added that the Hungarian presidency would “lend momentum and do good to Europe” by candidly addressing the most difficult questions “without trying to influence decision-makers.”
Orbán also remarked that the Hungarian presidency would not engage in the “common practice” of addressing issues in a confusing, time-consuming way “in the Brussels bubble’s own bureaucratic approach,” or of not addressing them at all.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Charles Michel, President of the European Council, in Brussels on 1 July 2024. Photo: MTI
Orbán added that Hungary “knows its place in the world, its strengths, and its faults”, and would contribute to European values over the next six months. “There will be surprising developments,” he said.
Regarding illegal migration, the Prime Minister stated that the EU’s migration pact was not working and that the bloc needed to move on from it.
Orbán recommended that Brussels should not penalise Hungary for its refusal to accept migrants, suggesting instead that the EU and other capitals adopt Hungary’s migration policy. “Everything would suddenly become simpler,” he added.
Migration and trade war
Addressing the Hungarian presidency’s aim of boosting Europe’s competitiveness, Orbán said it had been a mistake to introduce “big international taxes”. “Taxes are detrimental, and stimulating the economy requires supporting economic players,” he said.
He mentioned that Hungary planned to revise measures “purported to protect certain industries, particularly the automotive sector, from Eastern industries”. He explained that during preparations for the presidency, he had spoken with major car manufacturers’ leaders, who indicated they did not support such measures as they would lose much more “when the Easterners retaliate”.
Orbán warned that the EU was on the brink of a trade war with the East, which it was likely to lose.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the need to “radically rethink and reshape” the EU’s green energy policy, arguing that in recent years it had led to increased coal usage in Europe while energy prices had doubled or even tripled.
Orbán stated that Hungary planned to advance 120 legislative dossiers during its presidency. Additionally, approximately 1,500 Council working group meetings will be held, along with 37 high-level meetings and 230 events connected to the presidency. EU leaders will hold 27 summits, and the summit of the European Political Community, comprising 47 European heads of government and state, will also take place in Budapest, he added.
European voters wanted change
Orbán noted that voters in the European Parliament elections had opted for change, insisting that parties from 20 out of 27 countries, which had declared “things cannot go on like this in Brussels”, had “won”. He criticised the Belgian Prime Minister and the French government for not recognising the prevailing sentiment, adding that “the situation is precarious” in Germany.
Referring to Patriots for Europe, a new European party alliance he recently formed with Czech and Austrian right-wing parties, Orbán said change would occur as it became increasingly evident that it was needed. He stated that the new grouping promoted peace, order, security, and development, and would grow into “a large parliamentary group faster than expected”, adding that “many people will be surprised in 4-5 days’ time”.
The group’s inaugural meeting will be held on 8 July, he said, adding that alongside Portugal’s Chega, which has already announced its plan to join, “an Italian party will also join soon”. Orbán predicted the group would “quickly become the third and then the second largest” formation in Brussels. “We are the ones who want a better Europe,” he said, adding that the group’s members were “patriots who passionately love their own countries but also consider Europe important”. “They want strong European cooperation, not against Europe, but for their own countries,” Orbán said.
Von der Leyen’s performance was quite meagre
Referring to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Orbán described her performance over the past five years as “quite meagre” regarding significant issues such as the war in Ukraine, migration, and the green transition. He also accused the Commission of launching political attacks against Hungary under the guise of rule-of-law procedures, indicating he would not support her renomination.
He also criticised Manfred Weber, the leader of the European People’s Party, as a “known Hungarophobe”, suggesting that von der Leyen had been marginally preferable to a putative Weber presidency five years ago.
Regarding Antonio Costa, the candidate to chair the European Council, Orbán said Costa had “always been on good terms” with Hungary. Meanwhile, commenting on Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, nominated as the EU’s foreign policy chief, he said he had abstained from supporting her as he was unconvinced she could handle the job, “and besides, Estonia is strongly pro-war”.
Orbán said it had not been wise to exclude Italy, a founding EU state, from the negotiations on top positions, adding that “the Italians are rightly outraged”.
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France also supports Hungary’s programme for its upcoming European Union presidency, with its focus on strengthening the European economy, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said after talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Wednesday.
In an interview with Hungarian public media, Orbánnoted that Paris was his third stop in a series of meetings with EU heads of state and government after talks in Berlin and Rome. Hungary is taking over the EU’s rotating presidency next month, he said, adding that his talks with Macron had covered French-Hungarian relations and the bloc’s next six months.
“After Berlin and Rome, we reached an agreement here as well and received approval for the next six months under the Hungarian presidency to be about improving the competitiveness of the European economy,” the prime minister said.
Source: FB/Orbán
Orbán said he and Macron had also touched on EU enlargement in the Western Balkans. He said certain Western Balkan countries had been waiting 15 years to join the EU. “This is incorrect, bad, perhaps even humiliating,” Orbán said.
He said an overwhelming majority of member states wanted the Western Balkan countries, including Serbia, to join the EU as soon as possible, adding that Hungary would work towards this in the coming period.
The prime minister said he and Macron had welcomed the development of bilateral ties and had agreed to further strengthen them.
Currently 45,000-50,000 Hungarian families make a living at French companies, and bilateral trade turnover has doubled in ten years, he said, adding that one of France’s biggest companies was also involved in the Hungarian state’s reacquisition of Liszt Ferenc International Airport.
Orbán said he had met representatives of that company on Tuesday, and today he and Macron had reaffirmed that this was not merely an investment but also a major development programme that was important to both France and Hungary.
He said they had also spoken about European affairs at their meeting.
Orbán noted that France is leading a European nuclear coalition of EU countries that say clean energy is impossible without nuclear energy. Hungary has been a part of the coalition since the beginning, he noted, adding that they had clarified the details of their cooperation in the matter. The prime minister also noted that French companies are also heavily involved in the upgrade of Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant.
The prime minister said he and Macron had also agreed on expanding their defence industry cooperation. France has already brought defence industry investments to Hungary, but the two countries are also exploring new opportunities for cooperation, he said.
Orbán said the talks had also covered the war, noting that Hungary and France had “significant disagreements” in the matter. “I made it clear to the president that Hungary isn’t concerning itself with either Ukraine or Russia; it’s concerning itself with peace,” the prime minister said.
He said Hungary was not against one country or another, but against war. “It’s the war that we want to stop, so the most important goal for us is for there to be a ceasefire as soon as possible and to prevent further deaths,” the prime minister said.
In response to a question, Orbán said Chinese-Hungarian relations were not a topic of discussion at the meeting. “Everyone knows that Hungary has had balanced and good relations with China since historical times, and China has also elevated its cooperation with Hungary to a very high level,” he said.
He said the EU was aware of China’s role in the modernisation of Hungary’s economy, and China has offered Hungary a role in the modernisation of its own economy. “This entails an ever-increasing economic cooperation, to which the Europeans have no objections, nor can they,” he said.
As regards the EU’s leadership positions, Orbán said the top jobs had been decided, underlining, however, that Hungary had always been in favour of involving everyone in European decisions.
He said it was “not good” if the most important positions for the next five years along with their corresponding programmes were divided up on a party basis “by those who appointed themselves for this”, warning that it was “never good” if there was a “governing party and an opposition, a majority and a minority” in the EU.
Everyone should be included, he said, adding that this step had become “a coalition of the parties supporting the war and migration”, which Hungary had a duty to oppose.
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The German newspaper wrote that PM Orbán suffered defeats in the last few months, so he had to make concessions and win the benevolence of Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Andreas Bock, a Hungary-expert of the European Council on Foreign Relations think-tank, toldDie Welt that PM Orbán weakened for the following reasons. The Hungarian prime minister could not gain the victory he wanted in the European parliamentary elections since he fell below 45%. Péter Magyar, the ex-husband of former Justice Minister Judit Varga, created the biggest opposition party in just months, and he knows all the schemes of Fidesz since he was an insider for years. He lost his regional allies and could not become a member of any European parties yet. Meanwhile, Magyar joined the EPP.
Orbán and Scholz on Friday. Who will win? Photo: FB/Orbán
Therefore, Mr Bock said a weakened Orbán met with Olaf Scholzon Friday. Moreover, he had to win the benevolence of the chancellor to get the frozen EU euro billions Hungary needed so much. Thus, Orbán must make concessions.
According to the Hungarian News Agency, Orbán and Scholz focused mainly on economic issues in Berlin.
Economic cooperation firm basis
Economic cooperation provides a firm basis for Germany-Hungary cooperation, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said after talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Friday, adding that they had agreed to further strengthen economic ties.
Speaking to Hungarian public media, Orbán said the talks had focused on European affairs and German-Hungarian bilateral ties.
Audi in Hungary. Photo: Facebook/Szijjártó Péter
Bilateral trade was record high last year exceeding 70 billion euros, with a quarter of Hungarian exports arriving in Germany, he noted.
German companies employ 250,000-300,000 Hungarians, primarily in the automotive industry, Orbán said.
The prime minister said he and Scholz were in agreement that “a generation change” was taking place in the car industry. “It is very important that Hungary should be involved in the German technological transformation,” he added.
Orbán underlined that Hungary was one of three countries in the world where all three major German carmakers were present.
Orbán-EPP conflict not Germany-Hungary conflict
“Hungary has a special role in the operation of Germany’s industry, and we expect jobs, economic growth and tax revenues [from them]”, “this is the backbone of Germany-Hungary relations”, he added.
Orbán said the EU’s competitiveness must be increased, and Hungary is ready to prepare a plan that will be able to improve competitiveness. Talks are under way in this regard with other member states, he added. The goal is that instead of isolation and reacting to global changes based on “the logic of fear”, Europe should expand economic ties and strengthen its network of relations globally, he said. Instead of closing in, it should be ready for competition, he added.
Photo: MTI
Orbán said he and Scholz had clarified at their meeting that conflicts between Hungary and Manfred Weber, the leader of the European People’s Party (EPP), were not conflicts between Hungary and Germany but conflicts between Brussels and Hungary. Those conflicts Orbán said did not weigh on the country’s cooperation with Germany.
Manfred Weber is “a Hungarophobic person, he hates Hungarians,” Orbán said, adding that the EPP leader had put the blame on Hungarians for not having been elected president of the European Commission. Weber is “one of our oldest opponents, [one of our oldest] enemies in European politics”, Orbán said.
Gender silliness
Improving the demographic situation in Europe is one of the primary goals of Hungary’s upcoming EU presidency, Orbán said. He added that he wanted governments to be able to help one another in increasing family support. “Migration will certainly be among the topics, and all efforts will be made to ensure that Europe continues to belong to Europeans,” he added.
In response to a question concerning whether Hungary would be able to take steps in connection with gender issues, Orbán said that “the entire gender silliness” which “stirs up” the traditional European order of cohabitation and education of children is not expressly included in the Hungarian presidency’s programme.
Budapest Pride on 22 June. Photo: MTI
“We do not want to deal with it, we do not even understand exactly what it is, we have a life and we want to live the same way as we have lived so far,” he added.
FM Szijjártó: Hungary to ensure cooperation between German car manufacturers, Asian suppliers
Hungary will continue to ensure unhindered cooperation between German car makers and Asian suppliers, Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said after talks with local automotive industry leaders in Berlin on Friday.
According a statement from the foreign ministry, Szijjártó said the electromobility transition as well as the economic interests of Hungary hinged on that East-West cooperation.
Photo: Facebook/Szijjártó Péter
“It is clear — and Hungary is an outstanding example — that the technological transition can be successful at the corporate level as well as the level of national economy if international trade is free, if global economic cooperation is not obstructed, if nobody hinders East-West cooperation among businesses,” he added.
Szijjártó said punitive tariffs on Chinese EV makers proposed by the European Commission would “do more harm than good” for the European economy. He added that Hungary would focus attention on ensuring the EC allowed “normal East-West cooperation yielding mutual benefits” to be maintained, instead of contributing to efforts to form economic blocs when it took the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of the year.
Szijjártó met Andreas Rade, the managing director of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), and Thomas Schwarz, Audi’s head of government affairs.
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Putting an end to the war in Ukraine and “the world war frenzy evolving in Europe” as soon as possible “is in the interest of the peoples both in Europe and in Africa,” Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said in Budapest on Monday.
At a press conference held jointly with his Angolan counterpart, Tete Antonio, Szijjártó said “preparations for a world war are manifest in the political trends of Europe” adding that the continent, “earlier seen as an island of peace, is now dominated by the hysterics of war”.
Szijjártó noted that escalation of the war in Ukraine posed a global risk, adding that “we now need the voice of the peace camp more than ever … therefore we appreciate the voices of common sense from Africa, and greatly appreciate the African states that clearly, openly, and honestly support the cause of peace,” he said.
Noting the challenges Africa had to face in recent decades, the minister said “it is worth listening when Africa says that each armed conflict … will be resolved at the negotiating table.” “The later we start the talks, the more people will die and the greater the destruction,” he added.
“The war (in Ukraine) can only be resolved through peace talks and a ceasefire … let alone the damage this war has caused to the entire world in terms of higher energy prices, war inflation, and food security,” the minister said.
Europe and Africa have a shared interest in putting an end to the war in Ukraine as soon as possible, he insisted.
Hungary and Angola see eye to eye concerning migration, Szijjártó said. He added that Africa’s population was expected to grow by 750 million in the next 20 years, requiring as many more jobs, education, health services, and drinking water. Unless those conditions are provided “we will see one of the most terrible humanitarian disasters of all times or face the greatest migration pressure ever on the European continent,” he added.
He said the EU should develop a comprehensive development strategy for Africa to prevent such migration pressures, adding that the upcoming Hungarian presidency would promote that cause. As one of the first steps in the process, the EU and the Southern African Development Community will hold a meeting of their ministers in Angola on June 18, Szijjártó said, adding that he and his Angolan counterpart will chair the conference.
At their talks, Szijjártó and the Angolan minister signed an agreement to continue a higher education agreement under which Hungary offers an annual 50 scholarships to Angolan youths to study at Hungarian universities.
Answering a question, Szijjártó said the Hungarian government had declined to support the European Union’s punitive tariffs on several Russian and Belarusian agricultural products “to protect the interests of Hungarian businesses.” He said “if the EU imposes prohibitive tariffs on Russia, Russia will respond, and measures taken in reaction could create difficulties for Hungarian companies in Russia or even make their situation impossible. “Why would it be in our interest to support measures that could make it difficult for Hungarian companies?” the minister asked.
