Experts in European integration discussed issues related to the Maastricht Treaty at an international conference.Continue reading
Hungary would like the European Union to set a clear political course for the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and make it predictable for itself and for Ukraine what kind of reaction to what kind of events can be expected, said EU Affairs Minister János Bóka in Brussels on Tuesday.
Speaking to journalists after a meeting of EU ministers for general EU affairs, János Bóka stressed that the EU’s policy towards Ukraine has started down a path that could create strategic uncertainty rather than a firm political framework. In Hungary’s view, it is necessary to clarify the areas covered by the EU’s supportive policy towards Ukraine, he noted.
We believe that it is not possible to take a responsible stance in favor of a commitment whose exact limits are not clear to the Member States themselves,”
the politician said.
Photo: Facebook/Bóka János
On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Minister Bóka said that Hungary condemns both the Hamas Islamist terrorist organization and the terrorist attacks it has committed, demands the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages, and recognizes the right of the State of Israel to self-defense. He stated that security threats to Israel must be eliminated. This could be followed by a meaningful exchange of views on the future of the Middle East settlement and how to avoid escalation, he noted.
He also stressed that humanitarian ceasefires should facilitate the delivery of assistance and the immediate and unconditional release of hostages.
We believe it is important that humanitarian assistance reaches those in need and is not misused by Hamas or other terrorist organizations,”
he emphasized.
The two-day summit, starting on Thursday, will also discuss migration issues, in particular the external dimension of migration, i.e. the protection of external borders and cooperation with non-EU countries.
We look forward to cooperation similar to the recent migration agreement with Egypt, and we want the European Council to discuss and adopt conclusions on the strategic partnership between the European Union and Turkey,”
he explained.
In the context of the debate on the future of Europe, Bóka said that Hungary’s vision is to identify the policies that need to be rethought for the future of the EU and to examine how these policies can prepare the EU for the future. Among the Member States, there is an overwhelming majority who believe that there is no need to amend the treaties now or later, because the current treaty framework is capable of dealing with the challenges, he added.
Via MTI, Featured image: Facebook/ Володимир Зеленський (Volodymyr Zelenskyy)