“The statements criticising Hungary by the European Commission’s Czech Vice President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourová have absolutely no influence on Hungarian-Czech relations”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó pointed out in an interview published in Saturday’s edition of Czech political daily Lidové Noviny.

“I would like to make it absolutely clear that we regard Vera Jourová’s statement as a statement by the European Commission Vice President. We therefore do not associate Vera Jourová with either the Czech Republic or the Czech government”, declared Mr. Szijjártó, who gave an interview to István Léko, Chief Editor of the conservative Czech paper, during his visit to Prague on Monday.

“This affair does not influence our excellent bilateral relations to any extent or in any form”, Hungary’s chief diplomat underlined.

“Jouravá said extremely harsh things that overstep the border of acceptability by a long way”, he stated.

“To call Hungarian democracy sick?! This oversteps every possible line!”, Mr. Szijjártó declared. “Jourová has acquired her information exclusively from left-wing liberal sources, and has totally disregarded the facts”, he pointed out.

According to the Minister, it is time for civilised dialogue and the spirit of mutual respect to return to Brussels. “Mutual respect represents the very foundations of Hungarian foreign policy”, he underlined.

“Hungary boasts a thousand-year statehood, we expect to be treated with respect, and we naturally also treat others with respect. But Brussels has not treated the Hungarian nation with this respect in recent years”, Mr. Szijjártó said.

In the interview, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade said that in his opinion: “Brussels is trying to use these political attacks to punish Hungary for its position with relation to illegal migration”.

(MTI/Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister)