Deputy State Secretary for European and U.S. Relations Kristóf Altusz from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade held talks in Paris on energy security and problems relating to migration in Tuesday.

In a telephone statement to Hungarian news agency MTI on Tuesday afternoon from Paris, Mr. Altusz said he had held talks with amongst others European Director of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pierre Lévy, Chairman of the Senate’s European Affairs Committee Jean Bizet and Deputy Director of the National Assembly’s Secretariat for European Affairs Guy Chauvin.

The Deputy State Secretary said that during his meeting with Pierre Lévy the parties had agreed there is a need to defend the external Schengen borders and that this is a similarly “elemental” interest for the French as it is for the Hungarians. They also agreed that action must be taken against human traffickers and that cooperation with Turkey is essential for finding a solution to the migration crisis.

In addition to Syria and Ukraine, the issue of energy security was also a topic of conversation, with regard to which possible routes for the planned North-South gas pipeline connection were also discussed.

Migration was also the main topic at the Senate and the National Assembly, where related issues were reviewed, after which the Deputy State Secretary met with the President of the French-Hungarian Friendship Society with whom he discussed possible bilateral agreements, Mr. Altusz told the press.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)