Hungarian citizens this year have stated their opinion three times as to how they envision the country's future, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó stated on Wednesday in reaction to critical comments by U.S. Senator John McCain.

On all three occasions the Hungarian people clearly expressed their view, and everyone should respect this, the Minister said.

If someone formulates their opinion of Hungarian affairs exclusively based on press reports then they can find themselves in a situation where their comments are not rooted in facts, Mr Szijjártó added.

Asked whether Hungary was planning to take diplomatic steps, Péter Szijjártó said the Hungarian embassy in Washington was in contact with the Senator's staff and would consult with them about his remarks and information they were based on.

Commenting on whether Hungary planned to take action to improve its diplomatic relations with Washington, he said cooperation between Hungary and the US was excellent in two out of three areas, namely economic cooperation and security policy.

"There are open issues in political cooperation and it is in Hungary's interest to resolve these without delay," he added.   

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade)