“Everything possible must be done to ensure that the tension that has developed in the Middle East does not escalate further, since that would have a grave effect on Europe’s security”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó declared following an emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Friday.

“All Hungarian standpoints were successfully enforced during the course of the harmonisation of positions at the meeting on the situation in the Middle East”, the Minister highlighted. “These criteria include the continuation of the fight against terrorism, preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons and avoiding the escalation of the tension that is developing in the region”, he explained.

Mr. Szijjártó explained that the security of Europe and the Middle Eastern region are closely connected, since a tense situation that becomes unstable could lead to new waves of migration. “Hungary agrees that Iraq must not be left in chaos, which would represent a major security risk to the European continent and the whole world”, the Minister emphasised.

He declared that the fight against terrorism must continue until the achievement of total victory, because the fighting aimed at the elimination of the Islamic State terrorist organisation is not yet over. “We have achieved major success, but have not yet achieved victory”, he said, adding that the two hundred Hungarian soldiers serving in the international coalition to defeat ISIS are valued participants of the fight against the Islamic State.

“According to Hungary’s determined opinion, we must prevent the number of countries with nuclear weapons increasing by even just one”, he underlined. In reply to a question from the press, Mr. Szijjártó pointed out that transatlantic unity on the issue must be maintained, because the disruption of that unity would represent a serious security threat.

With relation to Libya, the Minister said that Russia and Turkey are now the two key figures with relation to the country’s situation, the European Union “has been totally pushed to the sidelines”. “The goal is the achievement of a ceasefire and the facilitation of the enforcement of the plan to resolve the situation adopted by the United Nations. In addition, the arms embargo must also be enforced”, Mr. Szijjártó underlined.

(MTI)