Latest news with #PéterSzijjártó
Budapest Times
a day ago
- Business
- Budapest Times
FM: EU must work with countries that strengthen bloc's competitiveness
Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said the European Union must work together with countries such as Andorra that do not threaten but strengthen the bloc's competitiveness. Minister Szijjártó told a joint press conference with Andorra counterpart Imma Tor Faus that Hungary and Andorra 'represent similar positions' regarding the problems that currently burden the world. 'Both have a vested interest in international politics returning to the basis of mutual trust since, failing that, there will be negative consequences for countries of a modest size,' a ministry statement quoted him as saying. 'When I visited Andorra last year, my goal was to prepare for the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union. Unfortunately, I must say that the symptoms of an ailing Europe at the time, such as the dangerous security situation, extreme energy security challenges and the dramatic decrease in competitiveness, are currently even worse,' he added. Minister Szijjártó said the EU was steadily weakening as a result of a series of mistakes by Brussels. The minister said both Hungary and Andorra had an interest in an EU that aided the performance of national economies instead of putting countries under 'political pressure'. 'Instead of suppressing national characteristics, it should strengthen them,' he added. The EU could grow stronger by strengthening ties with countries that improve cooperation with member states, he said, adding that Andorra was an 'excellent example' of this and the reason why Hungary urged the EU to finally sign the accession agreement, given that the talks are already completed. 'Clearly, Andorra's economic performance would contribute to the EU's economic performance,' he said.
Budapest Times
a day ago
- Business
- Budapest Times
Foreign Minister says REPowerEU is ‘the Zelensky plan'
Minister Szijjártó said that banning Russian energy sources would multiply utility costs. Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said Hungary strongly opposes the REPowerEU plan as it would ruin Hungarian energy security and competitiveness and branded REPowerEU as 'the Zelensky plan'. Attending a working breakfast of European Union member state ambassadors in Budapest, Minister Szijjártó also said that banning Russian energy sources would multiply utility costs. The minister told them the bloc faced huge challenges 'in a rapidly changing world,' such as illegal migration and the decline in European competitiveness, which had a severe impact on Hungary's export-oriented economy. Excluding the years of the pandemic, government incentives helped investments break records every year since 2014, and the European Commission needlessly curbed member states, he said, adding that Brussels should leave such investments to sovereign decision-making regarding the national finances. Since the EU has not inked a single investment protection agreement with third countries for a long time, the right to bilateral agreements should be returned to member states, he added. As far as energy deals are concerned, he said the issue was physical and did not impinge on other states. The EC's proposal would result in energy sources being shut down instead of being diversified, he added. 'Frankly, I don't care what the Russians think about our position. And that's the case generally. But nor do I care what Burkina Faso thinks or Australia for that matter.' 'We oppose REPowerEU because it goes against Hungary's interests,' he added. At an event organised by the holder of the rotating presidency, Denmark, Minister Szijjártó noted that Russian energy imports to Europe have shrunk by 85-90 percent. He said it was 'no longer true' that Moscow could use energy to blackmail the bloc and the EU had achieved its objectives in this regard, adding that the security of no single country should be imperilled by banning energy imports. He underlined that the elimination of Russian oil and natural gas sources would increase utility costs in Hungary several times over. 'We Hungarians can't be accused of not trying to diversify our resources,' he said, adding that as a landlocked country, Hungary was in a far tougher spot than others. Six of the country's networks have been interconnected with seven of its neighbours, he said, though lagging infrastructure investments by others mean that 'capacities are still insufficient'. Minister Szijjártó said criticism of Hungary might be valid had the country not done everything it could to boost diversification, but in fact it had spent billions and tens of billions of euros on interconnection. 'We ask for greater understanding,' he said. Addressing the issue of Ukraine's bid to become an EU member, he noted the Hungarian government's strong opposition, for which it has been subjected to 'serious attacks'. Many other member states blocked integration of the Western Balkans for many years, 'yet they aren't branded as puppets of the Russians…' he added.
Budapest Times
a day ago
- Business
- Budapest Times
Szijjártó: Don't politicize prosperity, let the economy speak Chinese
Hungary aims to remain the number one European destination for Chinese investments, as these investments significantly contribute to the performance and transformation of the economy — Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in Budapest. The minister attended a working breakfast with executives of Chinese companies, where he emphasized that Hungary is proud to have become the top European destination for investments from the East Asian country. The government's goal is to maintain this position, as it greatly supports economic growth and structural transformation. He explained that Hungary respects the geopolitical and global economic realities and firmly opposes the politicized and ideologically driven approaches taken by some EU leaders. 'We believe that making economic cooperation between China and Europe impossible, or even just restricting it, would cause serious economic difficulties for the entire European economy,' he warned. 'We side with the players of the economy. If something works well economically, politicians should not ruin it. Hungary is the best example of how cooperation between Western and Chinese economies can bring significant benefits for both sides,' he added. Szijjártó argued that Hungary is proof that Europe can reap substantial economic benefits from cooperating with Chinese companies. 'Hungary is proof that Europe can effectively respond to the great technological revolution taking place in the world by working closely with China. Hungary is also proof that Europe can successfully navigate the global transformation of the automotive industry if it does not restrict collaboration between European and Chinese companies,' he listed. 'We firmly reject any attempt to divide the world into blocs again. We stand firmly for a world that is based on connections, connectivity, and global cooperation founded on mutual respect,' he continued. In line with this, the minister described it as an important economic policy objective for Hungary to remain the number one destination in Europe for Chinese investments. 'Last year, 34% of all Chinese investments into Europe came to Hungary; the year before that, it was 44%. In 2020, 2023, and 2024, Chinese companies brought the most investments to our country,' he reported. 'According to our assessment, these Chinese investments have all brought highly advanced technology and a large number of reliable jobs to Hungary. Without these investments, both the Hungarian economy and Hungary as a country would be poorer,' he concluded.
Budapest Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Budapest Times
FM: Hungary will not support Ukraine's EU accession, no matter what threats Zelensky makes
"I want to make it clear that no matter what threats President Zelensky makes, Hungary will not support Ukraine's EU accession," said the foreign minister. Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said Hungary will not support Ukraine's EU accession, no matter what threats Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky makes. Commenting on a speech made by Zelensky at an ambassadorial meeting the previous day, Minister Szijjártó told a press conference that the Ukrainian president maintained a 'hostile attitude towards Hungary, the Hungarian nation and Hungarians living in Transcarpathia'. 'Clearly, he treats Hungary and Hungarians as enemies,' he said, adding, 'they have been taking away and trampling on the rights of Transcarpathian Hungarians for many years.' 'These legal regulations have resulted in a church being set on fire and a Hungarian being beaten to death for not wanting to go to war and participate in the senseless slaughter. In that respect, President Zelensky's threats only confirm that he views us as enemies,' he added. 'I want to make it clear that no matter what threats President Zelensky makes, Hungary will not support Ukraine's EU accession. No matter what … blackmail he uses or tries to make Brussels blackmail us, the votes of two million people in the Vote 2025 [public opinion survey] put the Hungarian government under an obligation,' he said. In response to an accusation that the Hungarian government was connected to a church fire in Paladj-Komarivtsi (Palágykomoróc), he said: 'When Hungarian people accuse Hungarians of attacks against Hungarians … it clearly shows that the Ukrainians have their people in Hungarian politics, and have people even among the so-called experts and analysts who get paid to spread the Ukrainian narrative.
Budapest Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Budapest Times
FM: Attacks on minorities in Syria are ‘unacceptable'
Concerning recent reports from Syria of 'further brutal attacks on minorities including Christians', Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said such developments were 'unacceptable' and called on the international community to 'firmly stand up' to such attacks. The minister said on Facebook on Saturday that he had discussed the situation with his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar, and 'agreed that the attacks against minorities in Syria must be firmly condemned'. Minister Szijjártó said all Christian communities in a difficult situation could rely on the Hungarian government, and welcomed recent talks between the Vatican and Israel concerning 'the sad developments in recent days.' The Hungarian government is sending another 10 million forints to help the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the minister added.
