Hungarian FM: Georgian and Hungarian governments face intense attacks, but new US leadership shifts situation

“Georgian and Hungarian governments are both under very heavy attack, but with the new leadership in the United States, the situation has totally changed,” the Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told the GPB First Channel in Geneva.

Szijjártó emphasized Hungary’s strategic partnership with Georgia, highlighting their joint efforts in co-sponsoring a US-initiated peace resolution at the UN, which he believes is the only viable path to achieving peace.

“We have already started to agree on the date because we would find it very important to have the joint government meeting as soon as possible, given the fact that we attach strategic importance to our cooperation with Georgia, we really cherish and respect the work the Georgian government is doing.

We are working together in the international arena very well. Yesterday in the United Nations, we together co-sponsored that American peace resolution, which I think is the only credible way towards peace. The world has changed a lot because although we are both under very heavy attack, but with the new leadership in the United States, the situation of both of the governments, Georgian and Hungarian governments, has totally changed,” said Szijjártó.

He also criticized the EU’s approach to Georgia, calling it unjust.

“I think it’s very unfair how the European Union is treating Georgia and its government. The reason for that is very simple. In Brussels, all patriotic, conservative, right-wing governments are being hated. In case your opposition had won the elections Brussels would have been very happy.

They would have been saying that the Democracy in Georgia is in its top form. But since the outcome of the elections was not according to the taste of Brussels, it was obvious that they would attack you. Same to Hungary. We have been in office for 15 years now, and we have been under continuous attack for 15 years just because of carrying out patriotic conservative policies in which we put national interest as number one,” Szijjártó stated.

He praised the Georgian government’s performance, noting they are doing an excellent job.

“I think the Georgian Dream and the Georgian government is doing a great job. The one thing is that you should not give up because of these attacks coming from Europe. There will be a political change in Europe soon as well, as a consequence of the new waves starting from Washington and the patriotic and conservative governments will get much stronger in the future.

Look yesterday, I made it very clear that Hungary will continue to ensure visa-free travels for Georgian diplomatic and service passport holders. We are not going to cut this. The decision of the EU is that the right to decide has been given back to the member states. So this is a member state competence. So we can decide on our own. There’s a heavy pressure and guideline from Brussels, obviously, but no legal obligation. And as long as there’s no legal obligation, we are not implementing that decision. On the other hand, I have vetoed the enlisting of your politicians and the police chiefs on the sanction list because I found it very biased.

And on top of that, I understand that no evidence has been found that there would have been election fraud in Georgia. Our observers have given the report to us that everything went fine. So there’s no legal basis and no political basis for this attack at all. And I also think that the fact that the USAID sources have been cut is good news.

I am absolutely against the European Commission taking over those finances. I made it very clear yesterday. She [EU High Representative] shouldn’t waste her efforts and her energy on that because she will not be able to convince us. It’s a matter of principle. There’s no reason to put any Georgian politicians on a sanction list just because of being patriotic or conservative politicians. There’s no reason to put any police officers on the list because the only reasoning of that by Brussels is that they are serving according to the instructions by the Georgian government,” Szijjártó concluded.