The foreign minister said Hungary and its other three partner countries in the Visegrad Group highly value efforts made by Egypt over the past five years to prevent a flow of migrants coming from the country itself or across its territory to Europe.
Speaking in Luxembourg, Péter Szijjártó said Brussels must recognize Egypt’s efforts in connection with migration. He underlined Hungary’s position that a negative discrimination by the EU of countries that defend the continent would be a policy Hungary rejects. “It is unacceptable and goes against Europe’s security that the European Union should lecture rather than support countries that have never threatened Europe with migration pressure and have never even put any such pressure on the continent,” Minister Szijjártó said.
The minister said Hungary had asked the Council to arrange as soon as possible for the transfer of the 120 million euros approved in support to Egypt without setting “any artificial political criteria” for it, and ensure that Cairo can purchase the technology it needs to install for the protection of its borders. Hungary also urged the EU to convene as soon as possible a meeting of its Association Council with Egypt as a forum of maintaining their dialogue, he said.