N

Hungary calls for the UK to enjoy a "special status" after its divorce from the bloc

Szabolcs Takács said that the acquired rights of EU citizens in the UK should be preserved after Brexit

The Hungarian government has called for the United Kingdom to enjoy a special status after its divorce from the bloc as it has common roots and historical, economic and social ties with the European Union.

The state secretary for EU affairs of the Prime Minister’s Office said in Brussels on Friday that the United Kingdom will be “not a simple non-EU state” following Brexit.

Speaking after a ministerial meeting on the legal particularities of Brexit, Szabolcs Takács said that “special solutions” for the UK cannot set a precedent for other member states to curb the free inner market or the implementation of the EU basic freedoms.

According to MTI, he said that the acquired rights of EU citizens in the UK should be preserved after Brexit.

Hungary calls for the “strongest possible cooperation” in defense and economy, as well as security, innovation and cultural affairs, Takács added.

Although “it is reasonable to prepare for several scenarios”, the talks should strive for a “good, rational, progressive agreement that is in line with the interests of Hungary,” he said.

He said that preserving Ireland’s political and economic stability is in the interest of both Hungary and the EU, adding that strict checks on the inter-Irish border should be avoided.