Hungarian President János Áder has sent his condolences to US President Barack Obama following Sunday’s terrorist attack in Orlando, Florida.
According to reports, more than 50 people were shot dead and at least 53 injured when a lone gunman opened fire in a crowded nightclub.
President Áder has said that he not only offers his own heartfelt condolences but also those of the Hungarian people.
“I was deeply shocked to hear the sad news about the cruel shooting in Orlando that killed so many innocent people,” President Áder wrote in a letter.
“We must do everything we can to ensure that people living their lives peacefully are never threatened by those obsessed with violence, destruction and terrorism.”
The president reiterated that Hungary is ready to cooperate with the US in “common efforts aimed at strengthening the security of our countries and citizens”.
Lajos Kósa later said that the attack on the Florida gay bar points at “what threatens Europe and the United States: uncontrolled immigration”.
According to Kósa, this goes hand-in-hand with an increase in the threat of terror because “immigrants’ integration is difficult, almost impossible to solve”, in reference to the fact that 29-year-old gunman Omar Mateen’s parents moved to the United States from Afghanistan.
He also drew a parallel between the tragedy and the EU’s planned mandatory migrant resettlement quotas, which the government strongly rejects, pointing out that “uncontrolled migration and forced resettlement carry dangers, these have to be put to an end ”.