We are paying the price of a war that is not our war and whose outbreak we have no control over, the minister said.
The question is what is the fastest way to peace in Ukraine - stated Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó in his speech at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday local time.
Unfortunately, I have to start by saying that we are living in an era of danger - Péter Szijjártó began his speech, emphasizing that after the regime change and the Euro-Atlantic integration of Hungary and Russia, no one would have thought that we would again have to face the horror of the Cold War or the return of war in Europe.
"For the last two and a half years, we have lived in the shadow of a war," said the minister, emphasizing that as a neighbor of Ukraine, we also had to face its consequences; With 1.3 million refugees. He said that we are paying the price of a war that is not our war, and whose outbreak we have no control over.
"I think that after almost a thousand days, the real question is not what we think about the war, but how to create peace. More precisely (...), what is the fastest way to peace. Because we have to choose the fastest one. Because the later we achieve peace, the more people die, the more destruction occurs and the more families are torn apart," he emphasized, adding that "we Hungarians don't want more destruction."
Péter Szijjártó emphasized that after a thousand days we must honestly take stock of what was successful and what was not from what the international community and the European Union did in response to the war in Ukraine.
"And if we are honest with ourselves, practically nothing was achieved by what the international community and the European Union did in response to the war. Nothing came of it, which was based on the suggestion that there might be a solution on the battlefield. We have to honestly raise the question of whether the arms shipments had any meaning and obviously they didn't make any sense, they didn't make any sense, because the arms shipments didn't change the situation on the battlefield and didn't bring us closer to peace either," said the minister, adding that they only resulted in the number of casualties and the prolongation of the war.
At the same time, he expressed his hope that those who decide on the use of Western weapons supplied to Ukraine for deep strikes on the territory of Russia will make a responsible decision, because all of this could lead to a serious escalation.
He also drew attention to the fact that the weight of words must be considered in crisis situations, given that Hungary is seriously concerned about "open and shameless references to the possible use of nuclear weapons."
He highlighted that the solution must therefore be found elsewhere, that is, at the negotiating table, which can save many lives. "Hungary and Russia therefore urges an immediate ceasefire and the start of peace negotiations, this is the fastest way to peace," he underlined. Péter Szijjártó also drew attention to difficulties, saying that the international liberal mainstream has made peace a "cuss word".
"And anyone who speaks out for peace is immediately attacked and stigmatized," he pointed out. He emphasized that the UN should play a bigger role in the diplomatic efforts for a settlement, because it provides a "legitimate platform where countries at war can talk to each other".
He also spoke about the fact that Hungary considers it nonsense and unacceptable that the representatives of the great powers do not negotiate with each other, which, in his opinion, could lead to the danger of the world splitting into power blocs in addition to serious national security risks. He believed that the world could benefit from a civilized East-West cooperation.
As he said, Hungary can serve as a good example of the growth potential of a civilized East-West cooperation.
In this context, Péter Szijjártó highlighted that Hungary pursues a pragmatic, patriotic foreign policy based on rationality and national interests.
According to the head of the ministry, global politics must fundamentally change, it must return to the principle of mutual respect, and dialogue and diplomacy must once again be the main tools for this.
He also spoke about the fact that all of this is not hopeless, since there are a majority of supporters of peace in the UN, and Hungary is proud to be a member of this global majority that supports peace. "We are ready to support any global initiative that serves to build peace and to discuss any peace plan," he said.
At the same time, he called it unacceptable that some countries strive for exclusivity in relation to peace plans. As he said, all peace plans must be discussed, including the Brazilian-Chinese proposal. The minister said that the economic sanctions are completely useless and cause a greater disadvantage to some European economies than to Russia.
Regarding illegal immigration, Péter Szijjártó said that Brussels made a huge mistake because it wanted to manage it instead of preventing it. Hungary, on the other hand, insists on its right to decide for itself who it allows into its territory.
"I think the UN is the best place to recall international law. International law clearly states that everyone who is forced to flee their home has the right to temporary refuge in the territory of the first safe country, but not in the territory of the second, third or fourth country. Therefore, Hungary will continue to stop the flow of illegal immigrants at its borders, which essentially protects Europe from further huge security-related risks," stated the head of the ministry, at the same time calling it madness that Hungary has to pay hundreds of millions of euros in fines for complying with international law. .
MTI
Source: Péter Szijjártó at the UN General Assembly
Source: Facebook/Péter Szijjártó
