“The United States once again views Central Europe as a natural, strategic ally”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in a statement to Hungarian news agency MTI on Friday morning. With relation to his meeting on Wednesday with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Mr. Szijjártó explained: “During the Obama presidency, Central Europe was removed from American foreign policy’s ‘positive agenda’, but this has now changed”.

“Illegal immigration, action against terrorism, security policy, UN reform and a balanced approach to Israel are all areas in which our interests are clearly in accord, based on common sense”, he added.

The Hungarian Foreign Minister said the United Sates had been extremely helpful with relation to mitigating the conflict situations that have come about with Ukraine as a result of the violation of minority rights.

Mr. Szijjártó said that prior to his meeting with the U.S. Secretary of State, he held talks in New York with his Ukrainian counterpart, with whom he agreed that an intergovernmental working group will be established to monitor the implementation of the Venice Commission’s recommendations.

“There is hope of finding a solution, the Ukrainian Education Minister has begun consultations with the Transcarpathian Hungarian Cultural Association (KMKSZ), and the Hungarian and Ukrainian foreign and education ministers will soon be sitting down in Berehove (Beregszász) with the leaders of the local Hungarian community in the interests of finding a solution to the problem”, he added.

Mr. Szijjártó said it was outrageous that a UN bureaucrat, the High Commissioner for Refugees, is making “all sorts of malicious statements” about member states while totally ignoring the facts and without any knowledge of the truth. For instance, when he calls on Hungary to withdraw the Stop Soros legislative amendment package, which in his view would significantly restrict the ability of NGOs and individuals to support asylum-seekers and refugees. “If they don’t understand something, they should ask!”, he declared.

“But regarding migration as a fundamental human right is at odds with the security interests of Hungarian and European citizens, as is the suggestion that illegally crossing state borders should be recognised as a human right”, the Hungarian Foreign Minister underlined.

“It is a fundamental human right for everyone to be able to live in peace and security in their own home. The people of Hungary are also entitled to this right, and the non-existent human right to migration cannot be placed above this”, Mr. Szijjártó declared.

(MTI)