“Closer cooperation can be expected between Hungary and Denmark with relation to politics concerning migration and the future of Europe”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in a statement to Hungarian news agency MTI on Friday from Copenhagen.

Mr. Szijjártó held talks with Danish Minister for Immigration and Integration Inger Støjberg, in addition to which he also met with members of Danish Parliament’s Committee on Foreign and European Affairs.

With relation to his negotiations, the Minister said Denmark practices a strict immigration policy that is based on simplicity and guaranteeing security.

“Accordingly, it has many similarities with Hungarian migration policy, in view of the fact that Denmark is stressing the importance of protecting the EU’s external borders, and also believes that help must be taken to where the trouble is, meaning that the causes of migration must be eliminated”, he explained. “Furthermore, Denmark also agrees with Hungary that decisions on who has the right to enter Europe must be made outside the territory of the European Union”, he added.

“In view of the unsuccessful nature of forced return policies in recent years, this is definitely the correct standpoint”, Mr. Szijjártó highlighted.

“Denmark also drew international criticism when it adopted a few particularly tough measures, for instance on banning the covering of the face”, he noted.

“The law according to which migrants must contribute to the costs of their own care and accommodation, meaning that a piece of legislation also makes it possible for the Danish state to confiscate the property of migrants, also caused an uproar in Europe”, he pointed out.

“There is also a debate going on in Denmark with relation to the UN Global Compact for Migration, and the party that is supporting the minority government from the outside, and thus enabling it to operate, is against the adoption of the Compact”, the Foreign Minister emphasised.

“This Compact is totally at odds with Europe’s security interests, and it is absolutely clear from the text that the interests of the continent were not represented in the debate that led to the drawing-up of the text”, he declared.

“Accordingly, African, Latin-American and Asian interests were represented effectively, while the document became dangerous for Europe”, he said.

Mr. Szijjártó told the press that he and his negotiating partners had agreed that Europe must be capable of protecting its own borders, and the people of Europe must decide who they allow into Europe and who they want to live with.

He also said that with relation to the future of the EU, the parties had agreed on the risks represented by Brexit.

“Denmark and Hungary are close allies, and Denmark agrees that the exit of Great Britain is causing the EU major political and economic difficulties, but that this also provides an opportunity for countries that continue to support the common sense of the British to tighten their cooperation even further”, the Hungarian Foreign Minister said.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)