President Novak touched on topics such as family, the papal visit, and Hungary's foreign policy in a recent interview.Continue reading
Hungary supports and is ready to participate in any peace initiative that creates the possibility of a lasting ceasefire in Ukraine and paves the way for a sustainable and just peace, said President of the Republic Katalin Novák in her speech at the UN Security Council in New York.
She reiterated that Hungary welcomes the peace initiative in Ukraine and is open to join the process. She stressed that the personal presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the meeting was a signal that the time has come to seriously put the peace issue on the agenda.
The head of state spoke up for the Hungarian community in Ukraine and said that
she expects President Zelensky to take steps to help restore the nationality rights of Hungarians in Ukraine, as he promised to do during their meeting in Kiev, and in New York.
Katalin Novák also stressed that the war in Ukraine is a direct threat to Hungary as a neighbor, and that Hungarians are also losing their lives on the battlefield. The war is also a direct threat to Europe’s security structure, she added.
She called for cooperation in promoting peace and security in Ukraine. According to her, this requires organizations and strong countries and personalities who are capable of calling the warring parties to peace talks. She also noted that the UN and the UN Security Council are important actors in this process.
Among the strong nations, she cited the United States, China, and Turkey as examples of countries that can put a possible solution on the table, are able or willing to engage in dialogue with both sides, and can exert influence to move the process forward.
Novák also mentioned Pope Francis, whom she identified as a person capable of promoting peace. “Our history has given us so many examples of how a small group of people, or even a single person, can turn the course of history around,” said Novák, who addressed the UN Security Council for the first time in decades as President of Hungary.
The Hungarian President, who also attended the Women Leaders’ Working Lunch on Wednesday, referred to the role of women leaders in promoting conflict resolution in her speech at the Security Council. As she pointed out, when women leaders join forces to build peace, they can make a significant contribution to conflict resolution.
On Wednesday, the president met with Maia Sandu, President of Moldova, Yoon Suk Yeol, President of South Korea, Hage Geingob, President of Namibia, and Dina Boluarte, President of Peru, on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly’s high-level week, and discussed bilateral relations, education, and population issues.
As Hungary Today wrote, on Monday, the Hungarian Head of State co-moderated the leaders’ dialogue meeting on the mid-term review of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2015-2030, and on Tuesday, she addressed the UN General Assembly as head of the Hungarian delegation.
Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Sándor-palota