“Hungary and Liechtenstein are strong allies in many issues in international organisations”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said on Wednesday in Budapest.

At the press conference following his meeting with Liechtenstein’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Justice and Culture Aurelia Frick, Mr. Szijjártó said: The two countries are cooperating with relation to UN reform, reinforcing the work of the International Criminal Court, and on the issue of a mechanism of accountability with relation to Syria.

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“The two countries are members of a group that has set as its goal the reform of the United Nations Organisation in the interests of coherence and transparency, and we would like to reinforce the work of the International Criminal Court so it can act with a more wide-reaching mandate with relation to crimes against humanity”, he explained.

“The system of accountability with relation to Syria is also important because according to Hungary’s standpoint instead of encouraging migration we should be handling its causes, and this initiative furthers this cause”, he added.

Mr. Szijjártó also mentioned the fact that in addition, Hungary and Liechtenstein are also allies with relation to the fact that the right to set and impose taxes must remain within a national sphere of competence.

“Hungary’s economic strategy is based on low taxes, and accordingly it is of key importance that everyone should respect the fact that the right to set and impose taxes falls within a national sphere of competence. Hungary insists on this, it is an issue that affects competitiveness, and only countries with sufficient fiscal discipline are able to set low rates of tax”, he explained.

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Aurelia Frick highlighted the fact that Liechtenstein is grateful to Hungary for having supported the country’s initiatives in the United Nations. Although Liechtenstein is not a member of the European Union, it is inked to Hungary by many common interests thanks to which they are able to cooperate effectively within the UN, she explained.

In addition, they are also linked by important issues such as Brexit, which will have a major effect on both countries, she added.

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In reply to a question, Mr. Szijjártó told reporters that the first draft of the UN’s migration package was made public on Monday and is currently being evaluated, but it would seem that the complaints from member states following the Secretary General’s pre-emptive statement “have been heard to a certain extent”, and certain retractions have been made in the text in comparison to his pro-migration approach.

Once the proposal has been evaluated he will be making a recommendation to the Cabinet on whether Hungary should take part in the series of negotiations on the package, and a decision on this is expected next week, he told the press.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)