According to Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, the security challenges threatening Europe cannot be solved without cooperation between the United States and Russia.

In the UN Security Council on Tuesday the Ukrainian Presidency is holding a ministerial-level debate on European conflicts. In the debate speeches will be given by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Secretary General of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Lamberto Zannier, and representatives from the Security Council’s five permanent and ten non-permanent members. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, who arrived in New York on Monday, will also be attending and making a speech at the meeting.

In a statement prior to the meeting, the Foreign Minister told Hungarian news agency MTI that in the debate he would analyse the current situation, in which Europe is now facing its most serious challenges and conflicts since the end of the Cold War. “These conflicts and security challenges are not only European, however: the many security challenges and armed conflicts simultaneously affecting Europe have global elements, and often global causes”, the Minister said. In Mr. Szijjártó’s opinion, although the Europeans talk a lot about what can and should be done to solve these crises and armed conflicts, the solution does not primarily depend on the Europeans. “Our view is that a realistic solution to the conflicts threatening Europe can only be found if the Russians and Americans decide to improve their relations and switch to a relationship which is more pragmatic than it was”, he said.

In his speech Mr. Szijjártó said he would also reference Hungary’s historical experience, stressing the following: “Our historical experience is absolutely clear: whenever there has been a conflict between East and West, Europe – and especially Central Europe – has always suffered as a result. […] Accordingly, we are very enthusiastic advocates for the development of better relations between the new American administration and the Russian administration”. To support his standpoint, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade said that in his speech he would mention that the nuclear agreement with Iran could also not have come about without the Russians and Americans sitting down on the same side of the negotiating table. “For this reason”, he declared, “we Hungarians support all initiatives that bring the United States and Russia closer together, and regard all decisions – be they political or economic – that deepen divisions as damaging”.

“We call for the establishment of dialogue between the United States and Russia, based on mutual trust and a respect for international law; because without such cooperation, dealing a final blow to Islamic State will also not be realistic, and without the destruction of Islamic State there can be no solution to the migration crisis affecting Europe”, he said.

According to the Hungarian foreign minister, the security of the region neighbouring Europe has a direct effect on Europe’s security, and achieving peace in the region is such a demanding task that it can only be realised through American-Russian cooperation. Mr. Szijjártó said he would be stressing in his speech that “our view is that the future of Russian-American cooperation is the key to European security”.

During his meeting with the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Szijjártó said he would tell the head of the global organisation that Hungary strongly supports the Secretary-General’s preventive diplomacy: his efforts to prevent conflicts. Mr. Szijjártó said the following: “We are prepared to provide financial and expert assistance towards the new Secretary-General’s efforts in this field. Last year we contributed fifty thousand euros to support preventive diplomacy activities, and we are prepared to make a similar contribution this year. In addition, we fully support the UN Secretary-General’s goals in the fight against terrorism, as unless this fight is stepped up solutions to the migration crisis and the security of Christian communities are impossible”.

In his statement to MTI he said that Hungary also supports the UN Secretary-General’s efforts to restore the United Nations’ credibility and to make its operations more efficient, and Hungary is contributing funding for these reforms. “Furthermore, Hungary is also actively participating in efforts to do away with the culture of impunity”, he said – meaning that war crimes committed around the world should not be left unpunished. Accordingly, the Hungarian foreign minister stressed, Hungary is also donating fifty thousand euros towards the mechanism developed to investigate the most serious crimes against humanity in Syria, and is calling on the international community not to allow war crimes anywhere in the world to go unpunished.

(MTI)