According to Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, the European Union must recognise that illegal immigration and the mandatory resettlement quota are dangerous and contrary to European interests.

In reply to a question at a press conference following the meeting of Visegrád Group (V4) foreign minsters in Budapest on Thursday, Mr. Szijjártó told reporters: “We are taking the ruling of the European Court of Justice in the quota case seriously; we know what it contains, in contrast to many who are voicing very sweeping opinions about it, but have not read it”. “The ruling represents no commitment to Hungary; it concerns the fact that that the decision-making process, according to which EU interior ministers decided on the introduction of the mandatory resettlement quota, occurred in accordance with European regulations”, he explained, adding: “This is what the ruling states and no more”. “Accordingly, the real battle is only just beginning”, he declared.

Download

The Foreign Minister highlighted the fact that Hungary will be doing everything possible to make the EU accept that illegal immigration in dangerous, and that mandatory resettlement quotas are dangerous and at odds with Europe’s interests. “The V4 is united on this issue, and its members are united in rejecting illegal immigration”, he declared.

Download

In reply to another question, Mr Szijjártó said that there is a consensus between the Visegrád Group partners regarding the fact that the V4 will not be expanded, because this will enable the most effective and unified action. “However, the Group is placing major emphasis on V4 + formations, and accordingly when the V4 will be meeting with foreign ministers from the Western Balkans on 11 October, Romania will also be invited to participate in the meeting and other sessions of the V4 council”, he said.

Slovakian Minister of Economy Peter Žiga declared: “Based on the numbers, the mandatory resettlement quota system doesn’t seem to be working. It is important to express solidarity, but this has different forms”, he added.

Download

Polish Deputy Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told reporters: “It must be taken into account that Central Europe and the countries of the V4 were once stuck behind the iron curtain, and as a result their economic development is totally different to that of Western European countries, which are two or three times as rich”. According to Mr. Morawiecki, another important point of view is that the countries of the V4 do not have a similar moral responsibility with relation to migration as former colonialist countries.

(MTI)