“Hungary attributes major significance to cooperation with Latin America, and Paraguay could play an important role in this”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in Budapest on Friday.

At a joint press conference following a meeting with Paraguayan Foreign Minister Luis Alberto Castiglioni, Mr. Szijjártó stressed: “Hungary and Paraguay both practice sovereign politics and do not accept that they should be stripped of their right to decide who they will allow into their countries and who they should cohabitate with ”. “Accordingly, neither country voted in favour of the UN Global Compact for Migration”, he pointed out.

“A country not only has the right to guarantee the security of its citizens, it is its duty to do so”, he noted.

“The importance of the Latin American region is continuously increasing as a result of the global political and global economic changes, and as an export-orientated country Hungary recognised this and launched its Southern Opening policy”, he explained. “Paraguay could play an important role in this strategy with its economic policy based on fiscal discipline and low taxes”, he stated.

“During the course of cooperation, the greatest emphasis is being placed on water management and agriculture”, he added.

Mr. Szijjártó also spoke about the fact that Hungary and Paraguay agree with relation to the importance of free trade, and accordingly Hungary is supporting the conclusion of a free trade agreement between Mercosur (the Southern Common Market) and the EU at the earliest opportunity. “Negotiations on free trade agreements are often overly prolonged”, he added.

Luis Alberto Castiglioni highlighted the fact that during his visit he has submitted a request for the Hungarian Government to contribute to enabling Paraguay to open an Embassy in Budapest. “This will be the only Paraguayan embassy in the region and could give new momentum to bilateral relations” he added. The Minister said that in his view Hungary and Paraguay maintain similar values, and this is the basis for their cooperation; the two countries are not only linked by friendly relations, but are allies. He indicated that Paraguay did not vote in favour of the UN Global Compact for Migration because it has always been an independent and sovereign country, and wants to determine its migration policy for itself.

The Paraguayan Foreign Minister also said that a major step forward had been accomplished during the latest round of negotiations on a Mercosur-EU free trade agreement, and accordingly the treaty could soon be signed. “By doing so, we will have established a model that will be exemplary to the whole world”, he said. Luis Alberto Castiglioni expressed his condolences with relation to the Danube boat accident.

(MTI)