Minister Péter Szijjártó said at the meeting of EU ministers of foreign affairs in Brussels that according to the Hungarian standpoint, it is Europe’s long-term interest to establish a predictable, healthy and balanced cooperation with Russia that is based on mutual respect and international law as well.

However, the minister also made it clear that it is an important prerequisite that all parties, including Russia, should adhere to and also implement the so-called Minsk Protocol, which was signed in September for the political resolution of the conflict in Eastern Ukraine.

„Without this, no positive change can be expected in this matter”, the leader of the Hungarian diplomacy emphasised.

Péter Szijjártó explained that the Hungarian diplomacy welcomed the initiative of a strategic debate on EU-Russia relations, emphasising that both parties depend on each other to a great extent. He stressed that with the deterioration of relations both the European Union and Russia suffer losses; therefore, in regards to restoring and improving Europe’s competitiveness, the normalisation of relations with Russia would be an important milestone.

The minister also mentioned that the world changes so rapidly that day-by-day diplomacy experiences challenges never seen before, adidng that it is easier to respond to a significant number of global challenges in cooperation with Russia than without it.

According to the Hungarian minister, a consensus has been reached in the Council that EU sanctions, together with a number of other factors, have a very serious and severe impact on Moscow. However, these measures and Russia’s response to them also cause damages to the economies of both the EU and Ukraine, he said.

Péter Szijjártó emphasised that as he said during bilateral talks with Federica Mogherini, the High Representative of the Union, Hungary attaches great importance to the European Union representing a united standpoint in this respect. One of the greatest values of the measures resides in this unity, he concluded.

Sectorial cooperation with Russia was also discussed at this meeting and the minister noted that continuous consultation is unavoidable in energy issues. He underlined that with the scrapping of the South Stream project, Hungary needs to seek new opportunities.

“Our interest is diversification: to receive natural gas in Central Europe from as many sources and through as many channels as possible”, Péter Szijjártó emphasised, adding that on Tuesday he would consult with Maroš Šefčovič, the Commission’s Vice-President for Energy Union on solutions the EU supports to improve the energy security of the region.

The minister underlined that this is one of the most critical issues for Central Europe that he considers not solely an issue for concern for Central Europe, but a European problem.

During the talks, the fight against terrorism was also on the agenda. Several participants pointed out that in many cases the causes for terrorism may be traced back to unresolved international conflicts or to the unstable and disorganised internal situations found in certain countries, therefore cooperation with countries outside the EU, including the Middle East and North Africa, must be strengthened in this field.

The ministers also consider important the fight against radicalisation, and Hungary gives high priority to the transit of EU citizens joining the jihadists, the so-called foreign fighters. Péter Szijjártó also mentioned that the recruitment of foreign fighters in the Western-Balkans poses a challenge to the whole of the region, thus he urged for closer cooperation within the EU.

The minister underlined that Hungary is one of the 14 member states where the infrastructure for handling airline passenger data is available, and Budapest backs the creation of the required EU regulation as soon as possible.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade)