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Hungary builds relations with Andorra

Hungary's foreign minister has said that Andorra will be an important ally over the Ukrainian Education Act and EU tax harmonization aspirations

Hungary's foreign minister has said that Andorra will be an important ally over the Ukrainian Education Act and EU tax harmonization aspirations.

Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, made an official two-day visit to the principality where he met with Andorran Prime Minister Antoni Martí Petit, Foreign Minister Maria Ubach Font and Speaker of Andorra’s Parliament Vicenc Mateu Zamora.

“Andorra is extremely sensitive to minority issues," Minister Szijjártó said, stressing that Ukraine’s recently adopted new Education Act grossly violates the rights of the Hungarian minority.

“They are on our side in this issue, they are supporting us, and will be supporting the Hungarian standpoint at all European forums on which this issue will be raised, including the Council of Europe," he said.

Minister Szijjártó and the Andorran political leaders agreed that to take away the rights of minorities in 21st century Europe was “simply unacceptable”, he told the press.

The minister said the two countries also share a common standpoint with regard to the introduction of tax harmonization within the European Union which would be extremely detrimental to both Hungary and Andorra.

“Both economies and both countries have worked very hard to become competitive, and have achieved their competitive economic positions through low levels of tax," he said, adding that for precisely this reason they both support “economy policy concepts built on national specialities that are based on low taxes”.

The minister said that Hungary is a strong supporter of the earliest possible realization of an association agreement between the European Union and Andorra, and of the acceleration of related negotiations.