President Katalin Novák said Hungary and Poland are calling on the European Commission to make arrangements to ensure that the two countries could receive the allocations they are entitled to from the EU Reconstruction Fund. President Novák held talks in the Polish capital with her Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda in Warsaw on Tuesday.
“It is in Hungary’s fundamental interest that the country should increase its sovereignty and independence from Russia in terms of energy supplies as well, but this requires access to resources,” Novák said at a joint press conference held with Duda. President Novák noted Hungary’s dependence on Russian energy, saying that this is why “we are in a more difficult situation than most other EU member states”. She said that Hungary had however voted in support of the five previous EU packages of sanctions against Russia and expressed thanks to Duda, adding that she would appreciate his help for Hungary to represent its interests in connection with the EU’s proposed sixth package of sanctions.
President Novák said that making Poland the destination of her first international visit in her capacity as Hungary’s new president was not primarily a diplomatic move but an “obvious choice, resulting from our thousand-year friendship and the fact that Poles and Hungarians still stand close to each other in terms of their values”.
The president added that Hungary and Poland could always rely on each other and “we will not allow anyone to drive a wedge between us”.
“We both stand on a similar footing, Christian conviction, faith, the protection of traditional families and national interests are important to us,” she said.
Young people setting up families and having children would be in the focus of talks had it been a peaceful time, but war was started by Russia in a common neighbour country, Ukraine, 83 days ago, she said. Novák said Hungary condemned the aggression of Russian President Vladimir Putin attacking a sovereign state and she presented ten points that she said were Hungary’s responses. “We forever say no to every effort aiming at the restoration of the Soviet Union and we want peace here in Hungary and also in neighbouring countries,” she said. “This is not our war but it is also being fought against us, peace-loving Hungarians who want security and growth,” she added.
Photo credit: MTI