US entry ban – US move not triggered by Hungary govt measures, says diplomat
Budapest, October 24 (MTI) – The United States has not banned Hungarian officials to enter the country because of any measures by the Hungarian government, but because it has evidence that those affected have been involved in corruption activities, Andre Goodfriend, charge d’affaires of the US embassy in Budapest, told a press conference on Friday.
The US, therefore, does not expect the Hungarian government to take any action in the case and this is not a sanction against the country, the diplomat added.
The US, on the other hand, is ready to cooperate with Hungary in fighting corruption, Goodfriend said. Rather than trying to find out who the US entry ban impacts personally, ways should be identified in which the two countries could work together to eliminate graft, he said.
Goodfriend said the United States is ready to conduct an open dialogue and welcomes honest criticism as this is important in a democracy. This is also why they support civil organisations, which express exactly this criticism, he said.
Goodfriend said they do not only watch Hungary, but follow developments in all countries and take steps, if necessary.
At the time of the political regime change, he said, Hungary was at the forefront of changes, showing an example to other countries. However, the current developments show a kind of negative trend, and the United States does not want that to continue, the diplomat added.
Goodfriend also said that there are several countries fostering close relations with Russia, and it is no problem if a country regards Moscow as its partner. However, he noted that Hungary was among the countries supporting the European Union’s position on Ukraine and agreed with the sanctions imposed against Russia.
The charge d’affaires also said Hungary shows excellent performance as a NATO ally and military cooperation is outstanding.
Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters
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