A foreign ministry official told a forum focusing on Brexit organized by the Budapest Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BKIK) that Hungary regretfully accepts the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union.
Tamás Menczer, state secretary for communications and international representation, said that respecting the internal affairs of other countries is one of the cornerstones of Hungary’s foreign policy, suggesting that not every EU country shared this mentality.
“It is telling of the work of the current European Commission that while Britain is preparing to leave the European Union, the migrants have got in,” the state secretary said, underlining the Hungarian government’s view that the EU and the UK should strive to reach a fair Brexit deal that protects the rights of Hungarians living and studying in the country.
According to MTI, the state secretary said the current Brexit deal, which is yet to be approved by the British parliament, was in line with Hungary’s values as it guarantees reciprocal rights for EU and UK citizens. Hungary, however, is also making preparations for a “no-deal Brexit”, he said, noting that the government has set up a working group to prepare for such a scenario. He said the Hungarian government welcomed the UK’s commitment to guarantee the rights of EU citizens even in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
However, Menczer noted that in the absence of a free trade deal, UK-EU trade would be regulated by the rules of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which he said would be disadvantageous to Hungary.
Menczer also pointed out that Britain was Hungary’s 11th largest trading partner. Bilateral trade turnover last year exceeded 5.7 billion euros. The UK is the sixth largest investor in Hungary, he said, adding that the British companies doing business in the country employ some 55,000 people. The Hungarian government has signed strategic partnership agreements with four British companies, he said.
Photo credit: biba.org.uk