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FM: An increasing number of countries are expected to reject the UN’s Global Migration Compact

Péter Szijjártó told at a hearing of the Foreign Affairs Committee that there are at least 13 countries that will vote against the compact in the UN General Assembly on December 19th

Addressing Parliament on Monday, the foreign minister said an increasing number of countries have raised objections against the UN’s Global Migration Compact and are expected to reject its adoption.

Péter Szijjártó told at a hearing of the Foreign Affairs Committee that there are at least 13 countries that will vote against the compact in the UN General Assembly on December 19th.

The minister said the countries who will vote against the plan include the Visegrád Four group formed by the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, as well as Bulgaria, Latvia, Austria, the United States, Israel, Australia, Dominica and Brazil.

Minister Szijjártó said Hungary will also reject a “sister document”, the Global Compact on Refugees which he said would allow migrants to enter Europe “through a backdoor”.

In regard to Hungarians in Ukraine, Minister Szijjártó said that “Hungarian communities across the border will not be sacrificed for geopolitical interests or under international pressure”. Western allies exert “unbelievable pressure” on Hungary to give up its position vetoing Ukraine’s NATO integration, he insisted, but added that Hungary would insist until “Ukraine drops its anti-Hungarian policies”.

On the subject of economic aid to ethnic Hungarian communities, the minister noted that subsidies under the program have so far totaled 60 billion HUF (186m EUR), the largest part, 38 billion HUF, going to Hungarians in Serbia’s Vojvodina province.

Minister Szijjártó also revealed that the government had concluded an agreement with Russia’s Gazprom concerning the quantity and price of gas to be supplied to Hungary next year. He added that “we need to keep all irons in the fire to maintain the country’s energy security”.