“The European Union must give continuous positive feedback to the countries of the Eastern Partnership in view of the fact that cooperation with these countries is in the political, economic, energy-related and security interests of the Community”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó declared at a summit of EU and Eastern Partnership leaders in Brussels on Friday.

At his press conference, the Minister highlighted: “According to Hungary’s standpoint, the EU can only succeed in regaining its lost competitiveness and can only be strong if it succeeds in gaining as many external allies, strategic partners and friends as possible”.

“Hungary firmly supports the acceleration of the enlargement process”, he added, “because the more countries form the European Union, the stronger the EU”. “In addition, Hungary supports association agreements, partnership programmes and free trade agreements with external partners”, he highlighted.

“Hungary has always wanted an ambitious Eastern Partnership programme that reinforces the European aspirations of the participating countries”, the Minister said, adding that without positive feedback pro-European political forces in Eastern Europe will lose the “support and credibility”.

The Minister also underlined the fact that in the long term the EU cannot ignore cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union, in addition to which closer cooperation with its Eastern partners is also in the EU’s interests with relation to energy and security, because gas from Azerbaijan is the only source that is capable of serving as a basis for realising aspirations to diversify the natural gas supplies of both Southern and Eastern Europe.

“Eastern partners need positive feedback, because without it European-inspired governments and political forces will lose their support and credibility”, he underlined. “This is why Hungary is supporting association and visa-free travel agreements with Georgia and Moldova”, he explained.

“Hungary supports the earliest possible conclusion of negotiations on an EU-Azerbaijan framework agreement, is a strong supporter of the lifting of sanctions against Belarus, and also supports the conclusion of a reinforced partnership agreement with Armenia”, Mr. Szijjártó said.

In reply to a question from reporters, Mr. Szijjártó refuted claims that he will be taking over from János Lázár as head of the Prime Minister’s Office, and that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade will be split into two entities following next spring’s elections. The Minister said he had no business with relation to “a journalist’s imagination going overboard”. Mr. Szijjártó said that in his opinion it would seem from the articles in question, which cite Ministry sources, that some of his colleagues have too much time to “fantasise about such idiocies”, to it would seem “the workload it not enough”.

(MTI)