Szijjarto: Hungary backs cooperation with non-EU countries, opposes migration

The geopolitical crisis has weakened the EU on the global stage, so it is important for the bloc to boost its external partnerships and relations, Szijjarto said in a post on Facebook.

Hungary supports close cooperation between the EU and “the world outside Europe”, but such partnerships must be beneficial for all member states, the minister said. He noted that the EU cooperates with 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries within the framework of the Post-Cotonou Agreement.

Hungary, of course, backs cooperation when it comes to trade and developments, Szijjarto said, noting that the country had “one of the world’s most open economies” and that its achievements in foreign trade were a fundamental factor in its economic performance.

He added, however, that Hungary disagreed with the EU “using the Post-Cotonou Agreement to legalise migration, undermine the fight against illegal migration and spread gender ideology”.

Hungary’s parliament made a clear decision last December when it mandated the government to thwart the approval of the Post-Cotonou Agreement, Szijjarto said. “The direction is clear: yes to economic cooperation, no to migration,” he added.