“Sebastian Kurz has always spoken clearly and has never been a slave to political correctness and hypocrisy”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó declared on Monday in Luxembourg prior to a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

The Minister congratulates Fidesz’s sister party, the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), on its victory as Sunday’s parliamentary elections and wished ÖVP leader and candidate for Chancellor Sebastian Kurz success in forming a new government.

Mr. Szijjártó expressed his joy at the fact that the Austrian elections were won by a party and by a candidate for Chancellor that have cooperated with Hungary with regard to migration and on many important issues.

According to the Minister, Europe needs more people who speak openly and clearly about the most serious problems affecting the people of Europe.

In reply to a question from the press, Mr. Szijjártó said that the countries of the Visegrád Group (V4) no not regard the expansion of the group as necessary. This is justified by efficiency and by historical traditions. However, the V4 is cooperating with Austria on many issues, and wishes to continue to do so in future.

Mr. Szijjártó also stressed that we are seeing a major violation of human rights in the immediate vicinity of the European Union. “Ukraine’s Parliament has adopted an Education Act that strongly violates the rights of the minorities living there. This represents a gross violation of the recently concluded association agreement between the EU and Ukraine”, he emphasised.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade declared that he will be initiating a review of the association agreement with Ukraine.

In early September, Ukraine’s Supreme Council voted to adopt a new Education Act that restricts the rights of national minorities to receive native language education to nursery school and primary school level, and make the Ukrainian language compulsory in all secondary schools and higher education institutions.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)