At a ministerial meeting of the United Nations’ Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, held in Bangkok, the foreign minister said the world’s security is at stake because of the war in Ukraine.
In a video published on Facebook, Minister Szijjártó warned of a continued escalation of the war, adding that the world also faced other challenges. The war poses risks physically, and financially, as well as in terms of energy and food supplies, the minister said. “Things are going in the wrong direction and the results of efforts of several decades could be compromised,” he said, adding that the impacts of the war could be felt in Asia and the Pacific region, too. The Hungarian government is working to promote peace, which is crucial to reining in inflation, soaring energy prices and restoring the global security of food supplies, he said. Hungary will support “any decision that brings peace closer but decline to endorse anything that would prolong the war,” he added. Szijjártó called for further strengthening ties between Europe and Asia “based on mutual respect”, and warned that recession in Europe could not be avoided unless supply chains linking the two regions were restored. He called on the UN to ensure smooth operations of shipping routes in Europe and Asia, and “restore ties between the two continents to the basis of free trade”.
Photo credit: Facebook/Szijjártó Péter