FM: International community should prevent escalation of Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Speaking at a meeting of representatives of the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council, Minister Szijjártó expressed the Hungarian government’s concern that developments could “easily lead to the gravest humanitarian disaster in history”. Sustainable peace in the Middle East, he said, was crucial, adding that GCC members could play an important role in preventing escalation. Intervention by the group had played “a positive and stabilising role in respect of a number of previous regional conflicts,” he added. The minister said he hoped the world could rely on their efforts towards a settlement that improved European security. Reinforcing cooperation between the EU and GCC “is needed now more than ever”, he said, and urged talks on such issues as lifting visa requirements and signing a free trade agreement with GCC members. “We all know that waves of migration are primarily triggered by armed conflicts, wars, and the mounting threat of terrorism,” he said, adding that “the global security situation has a direct impact on migratory pressure on the EU”.