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Hungary will adhere to its peace policy and is pleased that Slovakia is also speaking with the voice of peace, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán emphasized after receiving the speaker of the Slovak National Council, Peter Pellegrini, at the Carmelite Monastery on Monday.
According to a press release following the meeting, Viktor Orbán said that the most important issue today was peace, but that the whole of Europe was speaking the language of war. He assured his partner that Hungary would stick to its peace policy and stated that he wanted them to work together for peace.
In his view, we are living in a time of danger and good neighborly relations are of the utmost importance. The Hungarian Prime Minister promised that
Hungary would continue to do everything in its power to be a good neighbor to Slovakia.
At the meeting with the speaker of the Slovak National Council, they also discussed sovereignty, as Brussels wants to remove the right of veto from Member States on certain issues, including foreign policy, and emphasize the need for unanimity. Orbán explained that both sides consider sovereignty to be important in this matter.
The Prime Minister thanked Slovakia for its help in protecting Hungary’s southern border and recalled that Slovak police officers were sent to Hungary for this purpose during the government of Peter Pellegrini. He said that the reason why tens or hundreds of thousands of migrants of all kinds are not roaming uncontrolled in Central Europe today is because we have received help in protecting our southern borders. Orbán also recalled that together with Slovakia, they have spoken out against binding quotas for the resettlement of migrants.
The Prime Minister explained that freedom of energy supply is equally important for Hungary and Slovakia, which is why they also cooperate on energy issues, including investments in the nuclear sector. He also expressed his gratitude for the 18 new border crossings that have been opened on the Slovak-Hungarian border since 2010.
We are not only united by a common position and a common history, but we are also taking further active steps to expand cooperation,”
said the Slovak President of Parliament.
Pellegrini highlighted that several strategic decisions had been made jointly with the Hungarian government in recent years. For example, the two countries have connected their gas pipelines and new interconnected electricity grids have been established, which will improve energy security, he said. The Slovak politician added that further intensive cooperation was also needed in the nuclear sector, not only in technical, but also in personnel matters. He thanked Hungary for its joint efforts with Slovakia to persuade the European Union to include nuclear energy in the list of clean energy sources.
He emphasized that Slovakia would continue to support Hungary in border protection. After taking office, the new Slovak government immediately made it clear to people smugglers that Slovakia did not want to become a transit country, he noted. Pellegrini also thanked Hungary for protecting Slovakia’s airspace.
As a small country, Slovakia would never agree to the abolition of the EU veto,
he emphasized, expressing his delight that they could count on Hungary’s support on this issue.
He also said that Slovakia had decided not to send troops to Ukraine despite criticism of its sovereign and independent stance. The only way to prevent bloodshed was to have the courage to negotiate peace, he explained.
Hungary is one of Slovakia’s most important economic and trade partners, said Pellegrini, who also welcomed the increasing trade between the two countries and their joint efforts to “pave the way” for minorities living in each other’s territory.
The President of the Slovak National Council also held talks with Hungarian Parliament President László Kövér in Budapest. Topics of discussion included the challenges of illegal migration and the future of the European Union.
Future interests and visions for the future link the two countries, and it is worth working more intensively on strengthening cooperation,
said Kövér, who promised Pellegrini on behalf of the Hungarian Parliament that they will do just that.
Peter Pellegrini (L) and Tamás Sulyok (R). Photo: MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd
The President of the Slovak National Council was the first foreign guest to be received at the Sándor Palace after the inauguration of the new Hungarian President, Tamás Sulyok. The parties agreed on the importance of the V4 and emphasized the interest and commitment of both countries to strong and successful Visegrád cooperation.
Via MTI, Ungarn Heute, Featured image: MTI/Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Benko Vivien Cher