“Hungary is fully open to maintaining pragmatic, normal cooperation with Romania, and although there are still many unsolved issues in relations between the two countries, the positive signs are clearly visible”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó told Hungarian news agency MTI by telephone on Tuesday.

Speaking from Ankara, Mr. Szijjártó was reacting to the fact that his Romanian counterpart Bogdan Auerscu had previously stated in an interview to Romanian state news agency Agerpres: several positive elements exist within Romanian-Hungarian relations.

The Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade stressed: he agrees that Bucharest and Budapest are strategic partners in view of the fact that a significant Hungarian minority is living in Romania and the country is Hungary’s second largest export market. Precisely for these reasons, it is in the interests of Hungary for there to be normal dialogue between the political leaders of the two countries, Mr. Szijjártó said, adding that he is “fully open” to such cooperation.

There are still issues that need resolving, primarily with relation to the Hungarian minority living in Romania, and if there is a suitable response to these issues then Hungary is prepared to close the minutes of the Joint Minorities Commission opened in 2011, he explained.

In a statement to the Romanian state news agency on Tuesday, the Romanian Foreign Minister said that there are still unresolved issues in relations between the two countries, such as the minutes of the Hungarian-Romanian Minorities Commission, but – he added – the two countries are embarked on several joint projects. He views the relationship between the two countries primarily as a strategic partnership relationship, Mr. Aurescu stressed.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade)