The Monday meeting with the US President is an outstanding achievement of Hungarian diplomacy, as is the fact that the country maintains balanced, good relations with all leading powers of the world, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office said.

At his press conference, Gergely Gulyás highlighted that Hungary maintains good relations with all leading world powers whose economies are important for Hungary, and with which economic and political cooperation is of great significance.

He observed that Parliament could ratify defence cooperation during its session to be held after the European parliamentary elections.

In answer to a question, the Minister said Prime Minister Viktor Orbán did not invite US President Donald Trump to Budapest, but if necessary they will meet.

He also said there is an ongoing defence reform in Hungary in order for the country to join the ranks of those NATO Member States which spend 2 per cent of their GDP on defence. As expected, we will reach 1.6 per cent next year, and could meet the 2 per cent target by 2023. Hungary wishes to procure anything it needs from its NATO allies wherever possible, and to this end they are engaged in talks with several countries, he said.

Mr Gulyás said the US President wishes to reduce the losses that arise from his country’s negative foreign trade balance, and it is good news that in this respect Europe is only in second place; the American foreign trade deficit vis-a-vis China is substantially larger. However, if we fail to reach an agreement, the United States could introduce measures which could detrimentally affect the Hungarian economy. Therefore, we will have to find appropriate answers to this challenge, he said.

He further informed the press that the quota lawsuit instituted against Hungary before the Luxembourg-based European Court had now reached the stage where a public hearing was held. We take the view that the Treaty of Lisbon does not allow distribution on the basis of quotas, and it is a case of double standards that while with the exception of one country not a single Member State has honoured the prescribed quotas, the Commission did not institute proceedings against all the countries concerned, he stated. He added that, according to Hungary’s position, in the interest of the successful management of immigration, the issue must be taken away from the Commission and should be entrusted to a council comprised of the interior ministers of Member States. This is the only way to guarantee that “Europe regain control of the situation on the issue of migration”.

In answer to a question, the Minister said a meeting with the “council of the wise” to be appointed by the European People’s Party (EPP) can only take place after the European parliamentary elections. Also according to the agreement reached with the EPP, it is in everyone’s best interest to clarify any issues in dispute after the EP elections.

He believes it is important from the viewpoint of the settlement of the dispute between the EPP and Fidesz which direction the People’s Party will follow after the EP elections.

Mr Gulyás noted that no one had talks with Jobbik on behalf of the EPP. It is out of the question that both Fidesz and Jobbik continue as members of the People’s Party in the future. In Brussels Jobbik is seen is a far-right, anti-Semitic party, he said.

Regarding the debate of the lead candidates for the position of President of the European Commission, the Minister observed he knows few politicians in Europe who are more populist than Frans Timmermans, the lead candidate of the European social democrats.

He said Manfred Weber, the EPP’s lead candidate pointed out that “he does not want our support”; this is something we can accommodate. He highlighted that also five years ago upon the election of the President of the European Commission, the most serious criticisms related to the fact that the lead candidate (Spitzenkandidat) overrides the Treaty of Lisbon which is unacceptable. This system withdraws a right from the European Council which is due to that body on the basis of community law, he said.

In answer to a question, he said if anyone raises Chief Brexit Negotiator Michel Barnier’s candidacy for leading the Commission, the government will consider its position. “We have a high opinion of him,” but at this point in time the government is not required to take a stance as there has been no nomination, he said.

Regarding the passage of the Ukrainian language law, Mr Gulyás said Hungary will uphold its veto against the commencement of NATO negotiations, and it is to be hoped that the next Ukrainian president will adopt a different approach to minorities, including the Hungarian community.

The Minister said in answer to a question that the German public service television prepared a propaganda film about the Hungarian family support system which features a number of untrue claims, including that only Christian families are eligible for support. The German public service media are tools of left-liberal propaganda, he added.

(MTI)