“Cooperation between the countries of the Visegrád Group (V4) is the strongest and most effective within the European Union, and has become a worldwide brand”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said on Kossuth Radio’s “Sunday Papers” program.

According to the Minister, the alliance has been able to maintain its importance in recent years because it has based its policies on common sense and has proven that it is capable of being the engine of growth with its rational economic policies, as well as successfully stopping the wave of immigration.

With relation to the latter he pointed out that Brussels is “picking on” the countries of the Visegrád Group: “They are threatening them with infringement proceedings instead of thinking about how to restore the security of the European Union”.

At the Council of Foreign Ministers he and his Austrian counterpart agreed that the question of which immigrants should be allowed into the European Union must be decided outside the EU’s territory, he added. “If these solutions were in operation they could have saved all the refugees who have lost their lives at sea, as well as all the people who have lost their lives in terrorist attacks in Europe, because the terrorists would not have been allowed in”, Mr. Szijjártó said.

The Foreign Minister said the approach according to which the countries of Central Europe are not showing solidarity with the other member states was “deceitful”. “It is precisely these countries that are showing the most solidarity by not allowing illegal immigrants into Europe”, he added.

Mr. Szijjártó also stressed that Europe is facing the most serious threat of terrorism ever, in view of which travellers are being asked to be particularly cautious. He recommended that everyone take travel advice seriously and register themselves on the consular service website, adding that a 24-hour helpline will be available at all Hungarian foreign representations throughout the summer.

(MTI)