According to Foreign Minister Anita Orbán, Hungary wants to restore its sovereignty and have a pragmatic relationship with every country. At the Globsec Forum security conference in Prague on Saturday, she said that Hungarians want their country to return to the negotiating table in the EU. She called the Union and the North Atlantic Alliance the cornerstone of stability and security, informs TASR reporter.
- Hungary wants to restore sovereignty and have pragmatic relations with all countries.
- According to Orbán, the European Union and NATO remain Hungary’s main allies and guarantees of stability.
- Budapest makes Ukraine’s support in the EU conditional on the protection of the rights of the Hungarian minority of Transcarpathia.
Foreign policy and energy resources
“Our goal is a pragmatic relationship with every country and the restoration of Hungary’s sovereignty. Our foreign policy is based on a sovereign state, which means a strong country in terms of economy, society and values,” Orbán explained. According to her, this includes free decision-making on all issues, including energy.
When asked about the end of Hungary’s dependence on Russian energy sources, she answered that the government must put together an energy mix that will be the best possible for Hungarians in terms of price, availability and sustainability. “We also have to take into account what we inherited. We have to look at all the contracts and then we can make legitimate and considered decisions,” she added.
Orbánová: The European Union and NATO are the cornerstone of stability and security
According to her, the Hungarians want their country to return to Europe and to the European negotiating table, while the same applies to NATO. “Our biggest allies are the European Union and NATO, which are also the cornerstone of stability and security,” Orbán emphasized, adding that the voters want stability and peace in the region, including the end of the war in Ukraine.
When asked about the enlargement of the EU, including Ukraine, and Hungarian support for accession negotiations, the minister emphasized that every country must meet the accession criteria. She reminded that the Hungarian minority lives in the Transcarpathian region, and the observance of its rights is crucial for Budapest. “That is the most important thing that we have to solve in bilateral relations, and then we can talk about everything else,” she pointed out. However, she added that a dialogue is already taking place at the expert level in this regard, and if everything goes well, a meeting between Prime Minister Magyar and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also likely.
Poland as a model
She pointed out that Hungary must now focus on its growth. According to her, the new government wants to learn a lot from Poland, which the Hungarian government delegation headed by the prime minister was the first country to visit this week. According to the minister, Poland is experiencing rapid economic growth and infrastructure development. “We took a lot of advice to heart,” Orbánová evaluated the visit.
In connection with the plan to restore relations within the Vyšehrad Four (V4), which Hungary currently chairs, she announced meetings at the ministerial level until the end of July, when the Hungarian mandate ends.
