11 May 2015, Budapest

I would like to welcome the Honourable President of the Kurdistan Region, here, before members of the press. In European languages, the word “region” has a different meaning from that in the eastern parts of the world. We are all aware of the difficult situation which has developed in Iraq and the Iraqi region. Today, we welcomed a leader at an official bilateral meeting who is one of the representatives of stability in Iraq and its region – a stability which is so painfully lacking in a wider sense. And he is also a man who does not lack political courage, and has therefore always commanded great respect in the eyes of Hungarians. There are few leaders in the world today who are both brave and able to provide stability for the territory they have been elected to govern. We signed a memorandum of understanding last November, opened a consulate general in Erbil, and have always supported a policy encouraging the fullest possible involvement of the Sunni and Kurdish communities in political dialogue.

You are certainly aware that less than a month ago the Hungarian Parliament decided to send troops to the region. Preparations for this operation are well under way and the contingent’s officers are already on the ground. We are convinced that the Hungarian parliament made a wise decision. We are convinced that, while it is useful to talk about western commitment and alliance and about western values, it is better still to do something for them. Hungary looks upon the mission, which we shall complete in Erbil and neighbouring territories in Kurdistan, as an important part of its western identity. We are convinced that the stability of the region, and the region of Iraq, is important not only for the people living there – although it is more important for them than anyone – but also for the West, and for Europeans. Hence the unequivocal Hungarian contribution. We are convinced that in order to successfully manage the migration pressure we are observing in Europe, which is increasing daily, we must stabilise the situation in the Middle East and in North Africa. The activities of Islamic State are no longer confined to the territory of Iraq, but pose a general threat, and are a destabilising factor. We are convinced that Europe must support every peace effort, the primary aim of which is the elimination of terrorist organisations, and we must also support economic stability. We need a stable Iraq and a stable Kurdistan. Without a stable Kurdistan region and a stable Iraqi region, we cannot create stability in Europe itself.

Your Excellency, Mr. President,

Thank you for visiting our country. Thank you for accepting the cooperation opportunities offered recently. In Hungary we have some thirty Kurdish scholarship holders as part of a Hungarian state scholarship programme. We have now agreed on the extension of our economic cooperation. We are also grateful to the Hungarian oil and gas corporation Magyar Olaj- és Gázipari Rt. – or MOL, as it is better known. MOL has not withdrawn its operations from the region, even during the most difficult and dangerous periods, and it is now the flagship of Kurdish-Hungarian and Iraqi-Hungarian cooperation. We believe that its work will continue to remain of strategic importance in the future. We have also agreed on cultural cooperation matters. We sincerely hope that the years ahead will see the intensification of Kurdish-Hungarian relations in a spirit of mutual respect.

Honourable Mr. President,

Thank you for your visit.