“It is our shared opinion at every level within the European Union that the relationship between the United Kingdom and the EU following Brexit, i.e. the termination of Britain’ EU membership, must be kept at a strategic level”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in London.

The Hungarian Foreign Minister was in London to attend an informal meeting of the Visegrád Group (V4) and four southeast European EU member states: Croatia, Slovenia, Romania and Bulgaria. The representatives of the eight countries were invited to participate in an informal discussion of opportunities for cooperation following Brexit by UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.

In a statement to Hungarian news agency MTI on Sunday, Mr. Szijjártó said: “It is in the interests of the whole of the European Union for the strategic relationship with the United Kingdom to continue to exist even after Britain’s exit”. “Hungary’s standpoint is clear: we want a fair Brexit and the broadest and most comprehensive agreement possible on future cooperation”, he added.

In reply to a question from MTI on whether this also includes a free trade agreement, Mr Szijjártó declared: “It is vital for the European Union, and accordingly also for Hungary, that a free trade agreement is concluded between the United Kingdom and the European Union. Because if we do not succeed in coming to such an agreement, then the World Trade Organisations (WTO) regulations will come into force to govern trade between the UK and the EU, and that would mean the appearance of customs and non-excise related obstacles to bilateral trade”.

“In view of the fact that the British economy provides one seventh of the EU’s economic performance, and also taking into account that today’s global economic and global trade environment is built on speed, freedom from obstacles and comprehensive standardisation, failure to conclude a free trade agreement would have tragic consequences for the European economy and also cause major damage to the Hungarian national economy. Such a result would mean that one sevenths of the EU’s current economy and the remaining six sevenths would be unable to engage in unhindered trade with each other”, Mr. Szijjártó stressed.

“Hungary is concentrating on two very important interests during the course of the Brexit negotiations. One is the protection of the rights of Hungarian citizens living in Great Britain, to which the British party is also open based on the principle of mutuality, and the other is the most comprehensive possible free trade agreement, not least in view of the fact that the over eight hundred British enterprises currently operating in Hungary employ over fifty thousand people”, he declared.

“Keeping economic relations impediment-free is also a Hungarian national economic interest”, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade said.

In reply to a question concerning the fact that according to the European Commission’s Chief Brexit Negotiator Michel Barnier it is currently not yet possible to move on to the second negotiation stage concerning trade relations following Brexit, Mr. Szijjártó stressed: it is important to maintain unity, and accordingly “nobody wants to and nobody will question the standpoint of the Chief negotiator”.

“We have confidence in the Negotiator and trust that there will be an agreement in the end”, Mr. Szijjártó said.

With relation to disputes with regard to Brexit within the British Government and the governing Conservative Party, the Foreign Minister said: “Hungary does not wish to comment on Britain’s domestic political situation”. “Hungary is also aware of the disputes, but Hungary’s interest lies in Great Britain having an internal political stability that enables an agreement”, Mr. Szijjártó added.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)