“In addition to interests, common values form the basis of the alliance between Hungary and Estonia; the two countries share the same opinions with relation to the challenges facing Europe and the world”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó declared on Tuesday in Tallinn, where he held talks with his Estonian counterpart Urmas Reinsalu.

In a telephone statement to Hungarian news agency MTI, the Minister said the two countries reject illegal immigration and “the plans concerning the restructuring of the European population”. As he explained, Budapest and Tallinn have set up an early warning mechanism in the interests of preventing the United Nations from making its Global Compact for Migration part of international law, in view of the fact that “there are unfortunately stealthy attempts to achieve this in New York”.

“We also agree with relation to the fact that Europe must be protected. We are ready to fight to protect out own way of life, our national identity, and our religious, cultural and historical heritage”, he stated.

Mr. Szijjártó told the press that he and the Estonian Foreign Minister were also on a similar position concerning the fact that the situation that has developed on the Turkish-Greek border represents a major security challenge, and that Athens must fulfil its commitments and protect the external borders of the European Union just as Hungary did in 2015.

The Minister announced that a cooperation agreement had been signed at the meeting, within the framework of which Hungary and Estonia will be jointly aiding persecuted Christian communities in the Middle East, beginning with Jordan. He added that the best way of preventing new waves of migration is to take assistance to where the trouble is. “In addition, both governments believe that demographic challenges must be solved by supporting families and not via illegal migration, and accordingly cooperation may also be expected within the field of family-centric politics”, he pointed out.

Mr. Szijjártó highlighted the fact that Hungarian pilots have already taken part in assuring the security of Baltic airspace on two occasions, and that bilateral economic cooperation between the two countries is also developing nicely. With relation to the latter, Estonian-founded company TransferWise, which is one of the world’s leading financial service providers, will soon be expanding its Budapest headquarters to employ 400 people. At the meeting, another memorandum of understanding was also signed on cooperation between the two countries’ diplomatic academies. Later in the evening, Mr. Szijjártó will be taking part in the official opening of the new Hungarian Embassy in Tallinn.

(MTI)