Hungary Poised to Strengthen Europe-Africa Cooperation

Hungarian FM Peter Szijjarto: The migration crisis is the result of Brussels's extremely irresponsible policy.

Rabat, 2023. november 15. Szijjártó Péter külgazdasági és külügyminiszter (b) és Nászer Burita marokkói külügyminiszter sajtótájékoztatót tart a megbeszélésük végén Rabatban 2023. november 15-én. MTI/EPA/Dzsalal Morsidi Fotó: Dzsalal Morsidi

Hungary is ready to contribute to the strengthening of cooperation between Europe and Africa, which is in the interests of both parties, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said in Tangier, Morocco, on Wednesday. At the opening of the MEDays Forum international conference, the Hungarian minister stressed that world security is in its worst shape since the Cold War, and this is particularly true of Europe, where there is serious armed conflict both within and in the neighborhood.

Brussels policy gone wrong

He also referred to the mass illegal migration that has over the last eight years been on the rise on the continent, which he said is the result of the extremely irresponsible migration policy of Brussels.

We see the consequences of this: the creation of parallel societies in Western Europe; we see that vocal minorities are putting pressure on those who have lived there for centuries, we see the formation of no-go zones and the growing threat of terrorism,

he said, pointing out that the number of armed conflicts and terrorist attacks has increased, and with it the responsibility of the international community.

If these security risks become more intense, they will add up and the threat of World War III will increase. It is therefore clear what the responsibility and duty of the international community is: to mitigate these security risks and to resolve as many wars and armed conflicts as peacefully as possible,

he stressed.

Peter Szijjarto said that this requires fundamental changes in international politics, because today's discourse is mainly characterized by criticizing, lecturing, condemning and imposing sanctions on each other. Instead, he said, mutual respect should be restored on the global stage, colonialist approaches should be left behind, and no country should be allowed to interfere in the internal affairs of another.

Because no one knows better than the Moroccans what is good for Morocco, and no one knows better than Dominicans what is good for Dominica, just as no one knows better than us, Hungarians, what is good for Hungary.

He explained that without the restoration of mutual respect, the world will once again move towards blocification, and Central Europe has always borne the brunt of this. The next period should therefore be about global cooperation based on respect and connectivity, he said.

In this context, he said that the essence of diplomacy is communication between different states, and not just talking to those with whom there is full agreement on all issues, as closing the channels of dialogue would mean that the world would give up on even the hope of peace.

Multi-front pressure

The foreign minister also spoke about the security challenges facing Hungary, noting that Hungary has to cope with the risks posed by the war in Ukraine in the east and migration pressure in the south. He said that last year 275,000 illegal border crossing attempts were registered by Hungarian authorities, and this year 180,000, and that there have been several cases of migrants and people smugglers shooting at border guards.

Curbing illegal immigration is not possible without solid and respectful cooperation between Europe and Africa, he emphasized, adding that the struggle against migration can only be successful if the root causes are addressed: action must be taken against terrorism and extremist ideologies and everything must be done to promote investments in Africa.

In this context, he recalled that Hungary has deployed 200 troops to Chad to maintain stability and security in the Sahel region, has provided USD 140 million in tied aid loans (HTA) for infrastructure development in Africa, provides 1,425 scholarships per year to students from 24 African countries at domestic universities, and has helped Christian communities in 18 countries to stay in their homeland through the Hungary Helps program.

We Hungarians are committed to contribute to a strong cooperation between Africa and Europe, because we know that Europe's central interest is the development of Africa,

he concluded.

Cover photo: Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto (left) and Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita hold a press conference at the end of their meeting in Rabat on November 15, 2023 (Photo: MTI/EPA/Dzsalal Morsidi)