Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén held talks with Riccardo Paterno di Montecupo, the Grand Chancellor of the Sovereign Order of Malta, at the Order’s headquarters in Rome, on Friday.
At their meeting in the Magistral Palace, the pair reviewed the excellent relations between the Order of Malta and Hungary and the operation of the Hungarian Maltese Charity. They also discussed the issue of the 11 former Ukrainian prisoners of war released in Russia who arrived in Hungary on 8 June. The Grand Chancellor and Semjén reaffirmed that the Order of Malta had only provided humanitarian aid to the 11 persons in the form of lodging, food and medical care strictly in line with its principles. According to the principles, humanitarian aid must be provided to all those in need, irrespective of their nationality, political or religious beliefs and gender, the statement said. It said that the 11 persons were never subject to any restrictive measures whatsoever during their stay in Hungary. Semjén expressed on behalf of the Hungarian government gratitude to the Order of Malta for the humanitarian aid it has been providing to thousands of Ukrainian refugees in Hungary, said the statement.