What are the Visegrad Group's prospects for further cooperation? - was the question examined at a panel discussion at the 32nd Karpacz Economic Forum, which was also attended by Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto. And what else could have been the main focus of the discussion with Polish, Czech and Slovak experts than
whether or not the Visegrad cooperation can survive with Hungary having taken a partially different stance on the war in Ukraine.
Too early to bury
In his opening remark, Peter Szijjarto tried to highlight the positive aspects: cooperation with the Visegrad countries is always at the heart of Hungary's foreign policy and remains in focus, as it has been proven that the region can only be successful if the countries work together. He acknowledged that four sovereign countries (Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) do not always agree but believed that the strength of the alliance lies precisely in being able to identify areas where they do. FM Szijjarto pointed out that the four countries together are a factor to count with: their economies would have a place among the G20, and their populations combined would be equal to that of France.
Cooperation between V4 countries will not only survive, but can also develop, in Peter Szijjarto's view.
The situation looked somewhat more gloomy for other partners. "There have indeed been achievements, but can we talk about strategic success in recent years? I don't think so. Of course, cooperation continues, but what about the political level? - Slovak foreign policy expert Tomas Strazay raised some questions, for example.
Burying the cooperation of the Visegrad Group has come up many times, but never actually happened. Certainly not in Slovakia, and I don't think that ending this cooperation is seriously considered anywhere,
said Michal Vasecka, also from Slovakia, in response, adding that just as in 1956 Hungarians defended the whole of Europe, the Ukrainians are doing the same now, and many people, in Slovakia, too, do not take this seriously enough.
To rebut the statement that no strategic success has been reached, Peter Szijjarto pointed out five areas where the Visegrad Four have made substantial progress in recent years:
- joint protection of Slovakia's airspace
- joint protection of Hungary's southern border to fight migration
- cooperation during the pandemic
- keeping enlargement on the EU's agenda, which would not be possible without V4 support
- role of nuclear energy.
Hungary is not pro-Russia
As for the accusations that the Hungarian government is friendly towards Russia, he emphasized that the representatives of the participating countries do not need to be lectured on what Soviet oppression means, because they have all fought for their freedom. He called it the biggest fake news in history when in 1956 Radio Free Europe announced that the Americans would help.
The minister of foreign affairs and trade tried to clarify why Hungary cannot stop sourcing energy carriers from Russia within a short time.
Have you tried carrying gas in a backback? Because until we can do that, we'll have to rely on Russian gas,
he told the participants. He also pointed out that when Hungary asked for help to reduce its dependency on Russia, the country received no assistance. Moreover, the European Union declined responsibility and refused to invest in capacity expansion. "And then what happens tomorrow?" FM Szijjarto asked, noting that Hungary’s government is working to diversify its natural gas resources, but the capacity of the energy infrastructure in southeast Europe is very limited and the EU does not want to finance its development. "Similarly, 85 percent of Hungary’s oil consumption is covered from Russian sources, but the Croatian authorities have increased the transit fee five-fold via the Trans Adriatic Pipeline, the only alternative route, and no one in Europe is protesting this," he added
"Who will explain to the Hungarians that there is no heating?"- he asked the audience.
How much uranium did the US buy from the Russia? Twice as much in the first half of this year as in the whole of last year!
he said, drawing another parallel for those who accuse Hungary of being pro-Russia.
Hungarians shed their blood
The minister also reminded the audience that he alone represents a nation whose members shed their blood in the war. Nevertheless, he understands and respects that others hold different views on this issue, he pointed out. He also noted that less is said about the fact that Hungary has taken in more than a million refugees from Ukraine and that thousands of Ukrainian children are attending schools and kindergartens in Hungary.
Did the message get through, and was the Hungarian position better understood? This was not quite clear in the panel discussion. Maciej Szymanowski, director of the Wacław Felczak Institute for Polish-Hungarian Cooperation, said that the good thing about the V4 is that the countries don't want to lecture each other.
The biggest difference of opinion between the Poles and Hungarians comes from the Poles being more optimistic, even if they don't necessarily have a reason to be. That the West will behave differently this time and Russia will lose the war,
he opined.
Cover photo: Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto addressing a panel discussion at the 32nd Karpacz Economic Forum (Photo: David Laszlo)
