"The security of Brussels does not start in its suburbs but at the Hungarian-Serbian border, and in a wider sense, at the Egyptian maritime and land borders," PM Orbán said.Continue reading
Hungary and its other three partner countries in the Visegrad Group highly value efforts made by Egypt over the past five years to prevent a flow of migrants coming from the country itself or across its territory to Europe, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Luxembourg on Monday.
Brussels must recognize Egypt’s efforts in connection with migration, Szijjártó told Hungarian reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council.
He underlined Hungary’s position that a negative discrimination by the EU of countries that defend the continent would be a policy Hungary rejects.
“It is unacceptable and goes against Europe’s security that the European Union should lecture rather than support countries that have never threatened Europe with migration pressure and have never even put any such pressure on the continent,” Szijjártó said.
He said Hungary had asked the Council to arrange as soon as possible for the transfer of the 120 million euros approved in support to Egypt without setting “any artificial political criteria” for it, and ensure that Cairo can purchase the technology it needs to install for the protection of its borders.
Hungary also urged the EU to convene as soon as possible a meeting of its Association Council with Egypt as a forum of maintaining their dialogue, the foreign minister said.
In the featured photo illustration: foreign Minister of Egypt Sameh Hassan Shoukryand and Péter Szijjártó. Photo by Lajos Soós/MTI