China can play a key role in preventing an escalation of the war in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Monday.
“China is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and can therefore play an important role in preventing an escalation of the war,” Szijjártó said on Facebook after a phone call with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
Szijjártó said he and Wang had discussed the effects of the war on regional security, adding that he had thanked the Chinese minister for China’s efforts to prevent an escalation and for having offered to mediate between Russia and Ukraine.
Szijjártó said he had told Wang that as a neighboring country Hungary’s interests lay in achieving peace as soon as possible, “and that right now our most important task is to ensure that Hungary doesn’t get dragged into this war”.
Hungary will therefore support every international initiative aimed at dialogue in the interest of establishing peace.
Meanwhile, the minister said that Hungary has taken in 170,000 refugees from Ukraine since the start of the war. “We provide care to all refugees who come to our country while helping all third-country citizens return home,” he said.
There are 200 Chinese nationals in Hungary who arrived from Ukraine and will be traveling home to China this week, Szijjártó said, adding that Wang had expressed thanks for the help Hungary is giving them.
In the featured photo illustration: Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. Photo via Péter Szijjártó’s Facebook page
