Europe's security today undoubtedly starts in Africa.Continue reading
If the European Union continues to promote migration rather than development programs in Africa, the continent will be flooded with migrants, posing an unforeseeable security challenge, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in Budapest on Thursday.
Following a meeting of the joint economic committee between Hungary and Sierra Leone, the Minister said that Africa’s population will grow by 750 million in the next 20 years, which will be a huge challenge, as so many people will need education, healthcare, drinking water and jobs. “Therefore, if the European Union continues to encourage people to go to Europe rather than bring development programs to Africa, the European Union will be flooded with migrants and we will face an unforeseen security challenge,” he warned.
In order to preserve our security and our identity here in Europe, we need to implement serious development programs in African countries, not to encourage illegal migrants to come,”
he added.
He said that this requires responsible African countries and governments, such as Sierra Leone, that are determined to fight terrorism, stand up for their security interests, and are ready to build cooperation with Europe to help retain their populations.
At the press conference with his Sierra Leonean counterpart, Musa Timothy Kabba, Minister Szijjártó also noted that Hungary is not only acting in words, but also in deeds in this cause. He said that Hungarian companies are ready to participate in guaranteeing food security and water supply in Sierra Leone, and have started discussions on two prospective investments to ensure access to clean drinking water for more than 300,000 people.
He underlined that
the government is ready to participate in these projects on the financing and technological side.”
The Minister also said that the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences is ready to work with local partners to establish a framework for a high quality and safe food supply system in the West African country.
The Hungarian politician concluded that people-to-people relations are also going well, since despite the two countries being thousands of kilometers apart, 84 Sierra Leonean students are currently studying in Hungary under a program that provides scholarship opportunities to 50 students from the country every year.
Via MTI, Featured image: Facebook/Szijjártó Péter