Hungary FM: Ukraine Would Cause Damage and Difficulties

Hungary and North Macedonia have signed a comprehensive strategic agreement in Skopje on Friday. Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto sharply criticized Brussels for accelerating Ukraine's EU membership bid while hampering enlargement in the Western Balkans. Brussels is applying double standards, he pointed out.

Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto (Source: Facebook/Peter Szijjarto)

"There’s no sane person on Earth who would think that Ukraine is in better shape than any Western Balkan country," wrote Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto in a Facebook post. Hungary finds it unacceptable that Brussels is pushing Ukraine’s EU membership while hindering the integration of the Western Balkans.

Brussels is applying double standards, Peter Szijjarto says (Source: Facebook/Peter Szijjarto)

Brussels Applies Double Standards, Says Peter Szijjarto

The minister announced that the two countries signed a comprehensive intergovernmental strategic agreement under which Hungarian businesses will take part in the development of North Macedonia’s transport, energy and telecommunications infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Peter Szijjarto strongly criticized the European Union’s policy, which he said could have serious consequences.

Ukraine would cause damage and difficulties for the European Union, while we could benefit greatly from the accession of the Western Balkan countries in terms of both the economy and security,

he said. Hungary’s position is that the stability of the Western Balkans is in the interest of the EU as a whole, and it is unacceptable that Brussels is holding the region back for political reasons.

Cover photo: Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto (Source: Facebook/Peter Szijjarto)