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The situation in the Middle East is a key issue for Hungary for several reasons, including regional security and waves of migration, Péter Szijjártó, Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs, noted in New York on Wednesday.
If trends point towards stability, peace and tranquility in the region, new waves of migration are less likely to begin, Szijjártó said ahead of a UN Security Council debate on the situation in the Middle East .
“Instability or war situations obviously trigger waves of migration,” he said, adding that migrants tended to choose Europe as their destination.
Szijjártó noted that Israel is Hungary’s strategic ally and that the Hungarian government has always defended Israel’s right to self-defense. The minister called on the international community to make it clear that it stands with Israel and recognizes that this country is exposed to serious terrorist threats and that terrorist organizations and terrorists must be called out by name.
“We still regret to see some UN committees, bodies and member states expressly pursuing anti-Israel policies and adopting unjust and one-sided positions on Israel,” he said, adding that Hungary favors a balanced approach.
Over the past few decades, Szijjártó said, nearly every Middle East peace plan has failed, only the Abraham Accords initiated under President Donald Trump seemed viable. In this regard, the Minister underlined the need for the greatest number of Arab States to normalize their relations with Israel.
The situation in the Middle East is all the more important because Hungary, as a Christian state for more than a thousand years, feels responsible for the Christian communities in this region, he said.
“Several Christian communities are persecuted in the Middle East, a situation for which the United Nations should be partly responsible,” he said.
Regarding the administration of President Joe Biden, Szijjártó said that Hungary’s relations with the United States had been the best during Donald Trump’s tenure, but that Hungary always respects the decisions of citizens of partner countries.
“Unfortunately, our open approach to this issue is not always reciprocated on this side of the ocean,” he said.
“Hungary always strives to have the best possible relationship with the elected US administration. Our political positions, however, are not always identical. To be more precise, they are rarely the same,” Szijjártó said.
Featured photo via Péter Szijjártó’s Facebook page
