Both sides also agree that the European Union’s external borders must be protected and human smuggling rings countered.
“Hungary and Cyprus have similar positions on important matters,” Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said on Tuesday, noting that both countries support efforts to secure peace in Ukraine and want strict action taken against illegal migration.
Minister Szijjártó told a joint press conference held with Cypriot counterpart Constantinos Kombos in Budapest that both sides also agree that the European Union’s external borders must be protected and human smuggling rings countered.
Also, aid must be delivered to the locality of the problem to avoid further waves of migration, a ministry statement quoted Minister Szijjártó as saying.
Compared to its population, Cyprus has the largest number of first-time asylum seekers, he said. “We agree that Brussels must not leave countries on the front line unassisted. Brussels must not support migration,” he added.
“It is obviously nonsensical to penalise countries that protect Europe, its identity and its security…” Minister Szijjártó said.
Both Hungary and Cyprus support peace and Hungary strongly supports US President Donald Trump’s endeavours for peace, Minister Szijjártó said, adding that “everybody should follow suit”.
“We reject the delusional pro-war proposals surging here in Europe, and have made it clear that we will not send a single forint, a single weapon or a single soldier to Ukraine,” he added.
“We are against the energy sanctions because they drive up energy prices in Hungary, and we have made it clear that it is only Hungarians that can determine whether Ukraine should be allowed to join the European Union,” the minister said.
Minister Szijjártó and his counterpart signed an agreement on cooperation in the areas of diplomatic training and assistance to Christian communities in need.
Both Hungary and Cyprus prize their Christian heritage and take responsibility for persecuted Christians while supporting those communities so they can remain in their homelands, especially in the Middle East, he said.
Minister Szijjártó highlighted Hungary’s humanitarian aid to Syria and Lebanon. “We will go on with our programme and take a stand for Christian communities in a difficult situation and for Christian values worldwide.”
Cyprus is one of the few countries in Europe that will “speak about the necessity for support to Christian communities honestly and openly”, Minister Szijjártó said, adding that Hungary and Cyprus planned to “unite their forces” in terms of their aid programmes.
Meanwhile, answering a question, Minister Szijjártó said Ukraine needed peace as soon as possible, and he slammed the former US administration for measures taken during its last months, such as sending weapons to Ukraine “that make achieving peace much more difficult”.
“Making peace would be easier if the Biden administration had not taken those pro-war steps … or if certain European politicians were not working to undermine the path to peace,” he said. “We ask everybody here in Europe to support the peace efforts in Ukraine’s neighbourhood … we’d really like to see a return to peace,” Minister Szijjártó said.
