Hungary FM: Decisions Made In EU Have Serious Impact On Hungary’s Cooperation With Non-EU Countries

Hungary's minister of foreign affairs and trade was once again questioned about what he called a false claim spread by Donald Tusk. According to Peter Szijjarto, nothing that happens at meetings of EU foreign ministers is secret.

Peter Szijjarto, minister of foreign affairs and trade (Photo: MTI)

“I don’t want to offend kindergarteners, but this is starting to sink to that level,” FM Peter Szijjarto commented when a reporter once again pressed him with the same repeatedly asked question in recent days about his consultations with the Russian foreign minister.

Peter Szijjarto, Hungary's minister of foreign affairs and trade (Photo: MTI / Tamas Vasvari)

Donald Tusk claims that I took confidential information out of meetings of EU foreign ministers and shared it with the Russian foreign minister, who otherwise would not have had access to it,

– FM Szijjarto outlined the Polish prime minister’s allegation.

“This is the context he is presenting, so it is not worth denying—it is worth speaking honestly. That is what he claims. And I have clearly explained to you and to several other journalists how this actually works,” he said.

At meetings of EU foreign ministers, nothing happens that is secret. Because the vast majority of foreign ministers arriving at the meeting state their positions beforehand. During the meeting, everyone except me has their phone with them, and they are constantly using social media. After the meeting, everyone holds a press conference,

– he listed.

I have participated in approximately 120 such meetings over the past eleven and a half years, and not once has anything occurred that did not become known before, during, or after through others. So this nonsense from Donald Tusk—that I am leaking secret information—is absurd. It is a huge lie. That is not what happened,

– FM Szijjarto underlined.

Donald Tusk says this because there will be elections in Hungary, and these people all want the Tisza Party to win,

– Peter Szijjarto emphasized, recalling that it is difficult to regard Donald Tusk as a “credible beacon” given that he spoke at a rally of the Hungarian opposition alliance in 2022 in support of Fidesz’s defeat.

And then we won by 20 percent,

– he added with a smile.

Decisions are made within the European Union that have a serious impact on Hungary’s cooperation with non-EU countries. And it is natural that we consult about the effects of these decisions on our bilateral relations,

– he pointed out.

FM Szijjarto also emphasized that the EU has pursued an “extraordinarily misguided” policy over the past four years regarding the Russia–Ukraine war.

I believe that the actions of the European Union, Brussels, and Poland in relation to the war are a tragedy for Europe, because the war could have already ended if Europe had not followed a policy that prolongs it,

– he declared.

I'm sorry but we don't agree on this. The Poles have one position, I have another. I understand that the Polish governing party and the Polish prime minister are rooting for the Tisza Party, but we will not reach common ground on this issue,

– he added.

Peter Szijjarto also called it a lie that the European Commission’s deputy spokesperson claimed the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs had contacted him regarding the matter.

Do you know how long it's been since we last spoke? At least a year. So they're just spreding lies,

– he said. “There is no question of any secret information, but EU decisions do affect Hungary’s foreign relations, and we must consult about them,” he stressed.

“I do not understand why they spread the lie that I am passing secrets to Sergey Lavrov or consulting only with Sergey Lavrov, when I have told you that, if necessary, I speak with the Turks, I regularly speak with the Americans, in connection with foreign ministers’ councils,” the minister said, expressing confusion that from Peter Magyar to Donald Tusk to parts of the Hungarian media, so many false claims are being made while EU interests have not been harmed.

“In Hungary, very few of you have actually attended meetings of foreign ministers, especially over the past eleven and a half years, because I am the minister. I understand it is easy to mislead the remaining 9.8 million people, because they have never been there, but if there were any regard for professionalism, they would not write nonsense about security protocols at meetings of foreign ministers,” - Mr. Szijjarto declared.

What security protocols? People walk in and out. There are eighty of us in the room, seventy-nine have phones—everyone except me. What security protocols?

– he asked rhetorically, criticizing journalists for a lack of professional standards and for misleading readers.

Cover photo: Peter Szijjarto, minister of foreign affairs and trade (Photo: MTI)