Maintaining the unity of the EU is equally imperative for Hungary and Norway, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said on Thursday in Budapest after his talks with his Norwegian counterpart.
The Minister highlighted: this is important for Hungary because as a member of the EU, it has a vested political and economic interest in the continued unity and strength of the EU, while Norway has an interest in a strong EU on account of its cooperation with the EU.
He said: maintaining the Schengen Area is important for both countries. It is crucial for Hungary that Schengen should survive the challenges that the EU is facing in an unchanged form. All these objectives are, however, jeopardised by the policies of some institutions in Brussels, and Brussels’ immigration policy is a particular threat to the unity of the EU and the survival of the Schengen Area, he pointed out.
Mr Szijjártó told the press that they also talked about the British referendum. Hungary is expressly opposed to the EU exerting pressure on Britain on the issue of when it intends to officially notify the EU of its intention to exit the community, he said. He is of the opinion that Hungary and the EU, and in particular, Central-Europe, have an interest in ensuring that the negotiations should only start when it is clear what the EU wants to achieve at the negotiations. As he said, Central-Europe has major interests at stake, and it is especially important for this region what regulations will be introduced with respect to the issues of economic cooperation and foreign workers.
In answer to a question, he said: Britain’s exit debilitates the EU both economically and politically. There are two clashing positions in Europe today: the federalist and the sovereignist views. The former holds that the weaker the Member States, the stronger the EU, while the latter rests on the tenet that we need strong Member States for a strong EU, he explained. He said: Hungary takes the latter view, as does Britain, and it would have been better for the future of the EU if this pragmatic voice had had a strong representation in the EU.
The Minister said regarding Hungarian-Norwegian relations: military and economic cooperation between the two countries is of great importance. Regarding the latter, the fact that the exportation of the Pick and Gyulai sausage products and Hungarian wines may begin will bring about major progress.
Mr Szijjártó further covered the issue of energy cooperation. As he said, Norway is one of the most important guarantors of European energy security, and is a genuine source of diversification. With the establishment of Mol’s business in Norway, Mol’s prospecting capacity has doubled, and this will further strengthen our cooperation in the field of energy, he added.
The Foreign Minister also said in answer to a question: the unity of Europe is most at risk if the EU institutions want to pursue a policy that is contrary to the people’s will. The unity of Europe can be best preserved if the people’s will is not disregarded by the institutions of the EU, and it is wise to consult the people, he stressed. He takes the view that the Hungarian Government is resorting to the most democratic means on an issue of the utmost significance, and it is strange that it is not natural in Europe to give the people a chance to decide on an issue of such importance.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Börge Brende stressed that the EU is facing unprecedented challenges which it had not experienced before. It is particularly important in this situation that a positive dialogue has developed between Hungary and Norway, he pointed out.
Among the problems, the Norwegian Minister mentioned Brexit, the difficult European economic situation, the troubles of the southern neighbourhood, and migration. He also mentioned that an important NATO summit will be held at the weekend, and that the alliance plays a decisive part in the defence of Europe.
He further confirmed that his country is a major energy supplier of Europe, and accounts for 20 per cent of the continent’s gas supply. In answer to a question, the Norwegian Foreign Minister said: Brexit makes both the EU and Britain weaker, “everyone is a loser in this situation”. We need the cooperation of countries in order to maintain unity, he said.