“The countries of the Visegrád Group (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia; the V4) are providing 35 million euros in funding to Libya, with which they are not only contributing to border protection, but also to the fight against the coronavirus epidemic”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said at an online press conference on Wednesday.

The Minister issued a statement following a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council. “The coronavirus epidemic was naturally the most important issue on the agenda”, he said. “There is a consensus with relation to the fact that Europe cannot be secure until the epidemiological situation in neighbouring regions remains grave” he explained, adding that accordingly the parties had also discussed the situation in Africa and the Western Balkans.

Mr. Szijjártó highlighted that the Visegrád Group had previously agreed to provide 35 million euros in funding to Libya, primarily towards border protection. “Now, however, we have agreed that part of this sum will be used for the fight against the coronavirus epidemic in Libya. The reason for this is that the epidemic could give renewed impetus to further waves of migration. Because in unstable regions in which hundreds of thousands if not millions of people are toying with the idea of setting out towards Europe, the uncertain situation caused by the epidemic could provide further inspiration”, he stated.
“To date, Hungary has provided assistance to six countries in the Western Balkans, providing face masks and protective clothing, which contributes to maintaining the region’s defence capability in case a new wave of illegal migration pressure were to appear along the Western Balkan migration route”, the Minister also explained. He said that in his opinion “the situation that has developed around Europe, with conflicts, wars, acts of violence and their unsolved nature, has now become even more serious because of the virus”. “As a result, the threat of waves of migration aimed at Europe is continuously increasing, and accordingly strong border security continues to be necessary”, he declared.

With relation to the procurement of the equipment required for healthcare protection, the Foreign Minister pointed out that the countries of Europe are continuing to acquire protective equipment in large quantities almost exclusively from China and the East, and this is also what Hungary is doing. “Over 80 million face masks have already arrived in the country and the airlift between China and Hungary is continuing to operate”. “Hungary introduced the required measures in time, and as a result can boast one of the best results in Europe with relation to slowing the spread of the epidemic”, he pointed out.

Mr. Szijjártó also reported on the fact that the parties had discussed Ukraine. “Hungary’s expectation continues to be that if Ukraine is serious about close cooperation with the EU then it must accept the most important European values, including the protection of minorities and respect for minority rights”, he said. We have conducted encouraging negotiations with our Ukrainian partners in this regard, and we are now waiting “for words to be followed by deeds”, he stated. Mr. Szijjártó noted that Hungary has also provided assistance to Ukraine, funding the refurbishment of a healthcare institution in the eastern part of the country, as well as sending 100 thousand face masks and other pieces of protective equipment to Transcarpathia.

The Foreign Minister also told the press that in recent years the Eastern Partnership Program “has somehow become bogged down”, and accordingly the various projects must be given impetus. Mr. Szijjártó said that in his opinion “It would be good if the EU sanctions against Belarus were withdrawn, if the financial assistance previously awarded to Moldova were paid out, and if the strategic agreement with Azerbaijan, as a result of which the country’s natural gas reserves could play a suitable role in creating the security of Europe’s gas supply, was concluded”.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)