Szabolcs Takács, State Secretary for EU Affairs at the Prime Minister’s Office had talks with Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs Ibrahim al-Jaafari about the situation of Iraq and relations between the Middle-East country and the European Union on 23 November 2016 in Budapest.
The head of Iraqi diplomacy informed Mr Takács about the measures undertaken and implemented by Iraq in the fight against terrorism, in particular, the military operations that are currently taking place in Mosul.
The negotiating partners also reviewed the most important challenges the EU is facing, with special regard to the migration crisis, and the possible consequences of the departure of the United Kingdom from the EU for the European Union’s internal and external relations.
The Iraqi Foreign Minister said that Iraq is making enormous sacrifices in order to conquer the terrorist organisation called Islamic State and to retake the city of Mosul, in the context of which they greatly appreciate the military, humanitarian and financial contribution made by the Member States of the European Union. Mr Takács underlined that Iraq’s stability is particularly important both for Hungary and the European Union, and Hungary appreciates the efforts made by Iraq in the fight against terrorism. Hungary takes the view that Iraq must be supported with all available means, both at the level of the Member States and at the level of the EU. The Iraqi Foreign Minister said that the European Union must take a united and active stance against terrorism on a global level.
Mr Takács informed the Iraqi politician of the processes which are taking place within the European Union and the debate regarding the future of the EU, and confirmed: the objective of Hungary is to achieve that a strong European Union – one which takes account of the considerations of the Member States and has a clear decision-making and leadership structure – should take part in the management of the security crises in its own environment and beyond with a degree of global responsibility that may be expected in light of its size and economic weight. This is essential for the European Union to be able to exert genuine control over the challenges which have a direct impact on its internal functioning. To this end, it must significantly increase its defence capacity, in harmony with the already existing defence structures.