“Hungary and Israel can always count on each other; the friendship and partnership between the two countries is stronger than ever”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said on Monday in Jerusalem.

The Minister held talks with Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, following which at a joint press conference he highlighted: “Hungary continues to stand up in support of Israel, in addition to calling for a fair and balanced approach with relation to the country”. “Hungary will never support resolutions that are prejudiced against Israel”, he added. “Hungary and Israel are among those countries that are attacked most frequently in international organisations and the international media”, he explained. “It is in the interests of many for there to be a conflict of interests between the two countries, but bilateral relations have never been as good as they are today”, he stated. Mr. Szijjártó said that as a Central European country it is also in Hungary’s interests for there to be peace and stability in the Middle East. “Many plans have been drawn up to achieve this, but they have all failed, and the plan put forward by the White House now has the greatest chance of serving as the basis for a forward-looking process to establish peace and security”, he stated. “We must be patient and support the dialogues realised on the basis of the plan, and we must trust that the parties sit down to the negotiating table with each other”, he added.

Mr. Szijjártó also spoke about the fact that the challenge posed by the coronavirus pandemic has also created a new dimension in Hungarian-Israeli cooperation. “Europe was totally defenceless with relation to the procurement of protective clothing and equipment, and for this reason one of our most important duties is to develop strategic capacities to enable us to produce the most important pieces of protective clothing and equipment ourselves”, he explained. “We are now manufacturing world class respirators in Hungary in cooperation with Israel, of which we are also able to export”, he stated. “Israel is Hungary’s number one trade and investment partner in the Middle East, and important fields of cooperation include the kosher food industry, the development of self-driven vehicles, and space research cooperation”, the Foreign Minister emphasised. “We have agreed to receive 50 Israeli students at Hungarian universities”, he noted. Mr. Szijjártó also told the press that Hungary is a safe country for the Jewish community and for people visiting there, and the government has imposed a policy of zero tolerance with relation to anti-Semitism.

Gabi Ashkenazi emphasised: “Hungary is an important friend of Israel, and both countries are committed to further tightening cooperation”. From among important areas of bilateral cooperation, the Israeli politician mentioned economic relations: the automotive industry, agriculture and the expansion of joint production capacities of respirators in view of the coronavirus pandemic. “Hungary is not only Israel’s friend in the European Union, but also in the United Nations and other international organisations”, he also pointed out. With relation to regional security, Mr. Ashkenazi explained that the greatest threat is posed by Iran, and the country’s nuclear program and regional ambitions are giving rise to major concern. He said that in his opinion: “Iran has broken its promises with relation to its nuclear program, and accordingly the international community must take action against it and increase the pressure being applied to Iran”. During his visit to Jerusalem, Mr. Szijjártó will also be meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Science and Technology Yizhar Shai. At the beginning of the press conference, the parties signed an agreement on the Stipendium Hungaricum student scholarship program, and on the further tightening of Hungarian-Israeli space research cooperation.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade / MTI)