Budapest – At a joint press conference in Budapest, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó reiterated Hungary’s commitment to supporting North Macedonia’s EU aspirations alongside Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade Timcho Mutsunski. He highlighted both countries’ dedication to peace in Ukraine, underscoring their backing for the US Resolution at the UN.
“We stand firmly with the Republic of North Macedonia in favor of peace. We support President Trump and the progress of US-Russia negotiations, as we believe that lasting peace can only be achieved through an agreement between the US and Russia. Both Macedonians and Hungarians are eager for a return to tranquility, which was evident in our joint efforts last week at the UN in support of the US Resolution. Ultimately, the proposal from the US was passed,” Szijjártó stated during the conference.
He noted that restoring peace benefits not only North Macedonia and Hungary but all nations, as peace is essential for economic growth and EU expansion into the Western Balkans.
“The EU requires new energy, which can only come from the Western Balkans,” Szijjártó affirmed, suggesting that the current interest from the EU in the accession of various countries may exceed the enthusiasm of those countries themselves.
He criticized the hypocritical behavior of several nations, which he believes undermines trust among countries in the Western Balkans. He emphasized that merit should be the basis for EU membership decisions, a principle Hungary fully supports, but one that should be consistently applied across the board.
“Disagreements between member states and candidate nations cannot be deemed a merit. As you know, Hungary has consistently advocated for North Macedonia’s full EU membership, which is why we formalized our agreement today,” he added.
Szijjártó expressed optimism for the future, noting that recent developments in the US increase the potential for peace in Europe. However, he also mentioned that there are forces that are attempting to obstruct President Trump’s peace initiatives, he concluded at the press conference. (March 3)
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