“Austria is one of Hungary’s closest and most important allies”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó declared on Friday in Budapest.

Mr. Szijjártó held talks with Austrian Federal Minister for the European Union and Constitution Karoline Edtstadler, following which at a joint press conference he highlighted: “We highly appreciate the current Austrian government, and although there are issues with relation to which our positions differ, we are not allowing these to ‘hijack’ our cooperation”.
“The two countries agree with relation to important areas, such as EU enlargement towards the Western Balkans and rejecting any mandatory resettlement quota for illegal immigrants”, he explained. With relation to the new migration pact, the Minister told the press: “Hungary views what the EU body has put on the table extremely negatively, because it seems like Brussels hasn’t learned from the mistakes of recent years and has not given up its pro-immigration policy”. “This package is a futile attempt no not call a quota something that in fact is one”, he stated.

“The proposal concerns the distribution of migrants, which is something Hungary does not support. If new waves of illegal migration were to occur now, they would also represent a major health risk, and accordingly the Hungarian position continues to be that migration should be stopped, not managed, but this package is still bogged down with wanting to manage it”, he pointed out. “We will continue to strongly defend out border and will not allow any illegal immigrants to arrive on the territory of Hungary”, Mr. Szijjártó declared.

“Similarly to other Central European countries, we will be attacking the EU’S Mobility Package, which places Central European freight transport enterprises in a disadvantaged position via bureaucratic measures, before the European Commission”, he also stated. “Austria is Hungary’s second most important trade partner and the third largest investor in Hungary, and the 2500 Austrian enterprises operating in the country provide work to some 70 thousand people”, he noted.

In reply to a question, the Hungarian Foreign Minister said he keeps his private life and his public duties strictly separate. It has been stated several times on his social media page that he sometimes travels by helicopter, but it would seem that “not everyone noticed this”, he said. Mr. Szijjártó said he has used a police helicopter when there was a need to perform the task with which the electorate has entrusted him, and which serves the interests of the Hungarian people. “This is about work, not having fun”, he declared, calling the criticism unworthy.

Also in reply to a question form the press, Mr. Szijjártó said: “With relation to protecting against the coronavirus, we will not hesitate to make any decision with which we can protect the lives and health of the people and the operability of the economy”. “If circumstances allow, we will ease the restrictions, and if they need to be stricter, we will make them stricter”, he said.

The Minister also said: “It is unacceptable that solidarity can only mean the admittance of illegal immigrants, which Hungary refuses to do, even if it must face many political attacks as a result”. “Border protection is also a form of solidarity, because by doing so we are also preventing large numbers of illegal immigrants from reaching other European countries”, he pointed out.
Karoline Edtstadler emphasised: “Hungary is a dependable partner to Austria, and a friendly country. Our cooperation is very important, and this must remain the case in future”. With relation to the Commission’s migration package, she said: “Mandatory distribution obviously doesn’t work as a method for handing illegal immigration; this direction has failed”. “Solidarity is important, but that also has other forms, not just the admittance of illegal immigrants”, she said. The Australian Minister highlighted the significance of the rule of law, adding that to Austria this is a fundamental value with relation to which there can be no compromise.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)