"The longer the war drags on, the more people will have to face the food crisis and migration pressure will grow in Hungary and central Europe," Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó emphasized.Continue reading
The Hungarian government is awaiting the European Commission’s official proposal on its plan to scale back gas consumption in the bloc, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in an interview with Fox News on Thursday.
In the broadcast, Szijjártó said that the Hungarian government considers the Commission’s proposal to reduce European gas consumption by 15 percent to be a very serious matter.
I think it is too serious an issue to comment on following a statement of this type, so we are waiting to get a written proposal from the committee and then we will be able to formulate our position,”
the Minister stated.
On the subject of the Ukraine war, the minister said that every minute constituted a security risk for Hungary physically, economically, and also in terms of energy supplies.
Hungary, therefore, is interested in an early peace agreement, the minister highlighted, and urged the international community to help facilitate an immediate ceasefire and start peace talks as soon as possible.
Peace is the only solution to Europe’s very severe challenges such as high inflation, soaring energy as well as raw material prices, and a possible, further wave of illegal migration resulting from a food crisis, he added. “These are all tragic consequences of the war,” he emphasized.
Szijjártó noted that Hungary has carried out the largest humanitarian aid program in its history to help Ukraine, under which 840,000 refugees had been taken care of, with adults offered jobs and children schooling. He said that 13,000-16,000 people had fled to Hungary on a daily basis seeking shelter.
According to Szijjártó, refugees from the east and an increasing number of illegal migrants coming from the south put double pressure on Hungary.
Asked about the Hungarian government’s position on the possibility of Russia keeping Ukrainian territories it has occupied, the Foreign Minister noted that Hungary respected the territorial integrity and sovereignty of each country as a fundamental principle.
Featured photo via Péter Szijjártó’s Facebook page