With regard to the bus accident in Verona, I would like to confirm that Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó and all the staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade are naturally continuing to share in the grief of the victims’ families. Since the tragedy, we have striven to do everything possible to relieve that grief.

We may remember that immediately following the accident the Minister sent as many of our staff as possible to the scene, and we provided all possible assistance both in Italy and with relation to transporting the injured and the bodies of the victims home.

The Italian prosecutor’s office investigating the accident has not informed us that is has completed its investigation. Our Consulate General in Milan has asked for information on multiple occasions by both telephone and letter, and has attempted to use all instruments at its disposal to have the Italian prosecutor’s office speed up its investigation. However, the Italian prosecutor’s office is not entering into concrete communications with our Consulate General in Milan, stating that it will inform the prosecutor’s office in Kecskemét within the framework of a request for legal aid.

According to the information we have available, this information has not been provided thus far. If the parents feel that we have not provided them with a sufficient level of information on the progress of the investigation, then they have our deepest apologies.

However, I regard the fact that there exists an opposition party that is using the Verona bus tragedy for internal political gain as unacceptable, and I condemn such action.

Tamás Menczer
Press Chief

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade)