The Foreign Minister and the minister heading the Prime Minister's Office are accusing the US government of revenge for Hungary's support for Donald Trump.Continue reading
The inclusion of Antal Rogán, Minister of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office, on the sanctions list is terrible and shameful, former US ambassador to Budapest David Cornstein said in an interview with the public media. He added that the current US administration is treating Hungary with hostility “even in the last hours.”
David Cornstein said that not only the Biden administration, but also the Obama administration had been hostile towards Hungary, which was not in the interests of either country, while under the Trump administration, excellent relations had developed between the two countries.
In his view, the cooperation between the two countries will be close and fruitful again after Donald Trump takes office, similar to the previous Trump era.
He added that during Trump’s previous term, the relationship between the two countries was productive and mutually beneficial, with close ties between the United States and Hungary due to their converging views on governance, immigration and military priorities. In the interview, David Cornstein recalled the defense cooperation agreement signed under President Donald Trump, stressing its importance for the security of both nations.
Drawing parallels between US and Hungarian policy in the Middle East, Cornstein highlighted Trump’s decision to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and Hungary’s similar move to relocate a diplomatic office.
In the interview, David Cornstein expressed his belief that under Donald Trump’s new presidency, cooperation between the two countries will once again flourish and enter its “greatest era.” He regretted, however, that there had been no positive developments in US-Hungarian relations under the current Biden administration and expressed disappointment at the “lost opportunities for cooperation.”
As Hungary Today reported earlier, the United States has placed the Minister of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office, Antal Rogán, on the official sanctions list of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury. This was announced by the US Ambassador to Hungary, David Pressman, at a press conference on Tuesday.
The ambassador justified the decision by saying that the Hungarian Minister had allegedly abused his official position to influence the business sector.
“Antal Rogán is a primary architect, implementer, and beneficiary of this system of corruption,” he said, adding that the politician has “abused his office for his personal enrichment,” but also for the benefit of others loyal to his political party. In response to a question, David Pressman said that this was the reason why he, and not the Hungarian Prime Minister, was placed on the sanctions list.
Via MTI, Featured photo via Facebook/Viktor Orbán