“The positions that Hungary has been stressing for some time with regard to stopping migration are slowly prevailing, one step at a time”, Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács said in a telephone statement to Hungarian news agency MTI, based on the news received so far from the EU summit in Malta.

According to Mr. Kovács, based on the news so far it would seem that the Member States of the European Union are gradually recognising that there is a need for “the measures that Hungary has been calling for for over a year”.

“This is indicated by the fact that during the course of the day a declaration was issued, ‘which may be regarded as a turning-point’, and which mirrors the realisation that not only is the protection of the European Union’s external borders required, which Hungary has been calling for from the very beginning, but which also states that migration must be stopped outside the borders of Europe if possible”, he said. “This is why agreements are necessary with the countries of North Africa and the Middle East that may be of assistance in this”, he added.

“This turnaround in Italian migration policy is a promising development, but it does not mean that we have found a true solution to the problem or have the instruments to handle the problem”, he emphasised, however.

“Hungary has been stressing for some time that these viewpoints and measures should have been declared and put into practice at the earliest opportunity”, Mr. Kovács said. “In light of the Malta summit it is also ‘in all of our interests’ that this should occur as soon as possible”, he stated.

“This is why, during one of the informal sections of the meeting, the Prime Minister stressed ‘the importance of maintaining European influence in the Western Balkans, including the tasks relating to Serbia’s position as applicant state’, because although the greatest migration pressure is manifesting itself from Libya in the direction of Italy, there is also continuous pressure on the Western Balkans”, he added.

The Government Spokesperson also mentioned that the main topics for the remainder of the summit are issues relating to the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, and the future of Europe.

The declaration adopted by the informal summit of EU heads of state and government in Malta on Friday cites facilitating the stability of Libya as a priority goal. In view of the fact that Libya is the main African country of departure for most of the people who are attempting to enter Europe, achieving stability in Libya is more important than ever before and the EU will be doing its utmost in the interests of realising this goal.

(MTI)