We should rise to the challenges Europe is facing today with brave and well-considered answers: answers of such gravity which the continent has not experienced since the end of World War II, Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade said at the European Forum Wachau held in Göttweig in Austria for the twentieth time this year.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade reminded his audience of the armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine, and added that only a peaceful solution is acceptable for Hungary.
Mr. Szijjártó also mentioned that the frozen territorial conflicts on the verge of the community pose another challenge Europe must deal with, and he took the view in this context that Brussels should take a braver stance, for instance, within the framework of the Eastern partnership. The Minister pointed out that the United States is adopting a new approach to Cuba, and the European Union, too, should consider changing its attitude towards Belarus.
As regards energy security, Mr. Szijjártó remarked that Europe continues to remain exposed as regards its energy supply, and has to date failed to find the options of diversification which could create the foundations for the security of the region’s energy supply.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade mentioned terrorism as the fourth main challenge the European Union is facing today. He stated that the terrorist organisation called Islamic State (IS) is a brutal attack against civilisation, and we must fight it not only in words but also with actions.
In answer to a question from MTI, the Hungarian News Agency, Mr. Szijjártó said that Hungary has a vested interest in finding a common European solution to asylum which should primarily focus on preventing migrants from wanting to come to Europe. He took the view that to this end, it is necessary to create economic stability and peace in the regions where people are at present compelled to leave their homes.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade said that Hungary was formerly lagging behind other Member States of the EU; however, it has found its way back to the forefront of the EU. Mr. Szijjártó pointed out that Hungary has one of the fastest growth rates in the European Union. In the Minister’s opinion, the Eastern and Central European region and the Visegrád countries will constitute the engine of European growth, and close cooperation between the Member States of this region is essential.
At the European Forum Wachau, a two-day event held annually in the Göttweig Abbey since 1995, politicians and representatives of business and culture arriving from a number of countries discuss the topical issues of the European Union.