President Novák emphasized that this is Vahagn Khachaturyan’s first official presidential visit to Hungary. She said their discussions covered various topics including peace in the world, Hungarian humanitarian assistance to Armenia, demographic challenges, the importance of bilateral relations, the situation of minorities, and Armenia’s European perspective.
The Prime Minister said the EU was in the habit of making bad decisions, and he listed the 2008 financial crisis and migration as examples, as well as the decision regarding the war in Ukraine to go ‘towards war and sanctions’ rather than in the direction of peace.
Arriving at the location in the charity service’s green jacket, Novák engaged with the organization’s staff discussing their Advent programmes during the packaging process. After preparing the gifts, the President continued to the homeless shelter in the charity service’s minibus.
Péter Szijjártó emphasized that this visit marks the end of a long hiatus in the relationship, as there had been no diplomatic ties between the two countries for a decade. He pointed out that the decision to normalize relations was made last year, aiming to establish cooperation that benefits both nations.
While the European Commission initially announced that it was putting its entire Palestinian development portfolio under review, it soon re-evaluated its decision, stating that it remains committed to preventing any misuse of aid funds, but also recognizes the importance of humanitarian aid in providing essential services to those in need.
Katalin Novák emphasised that this is the first occasion for a Hungarian President to visit Rwanda, and it could therefore be a milestone in bilateral relations.
The total amount of EU funds approved by the Commission is €100 million, which is to be distributed among the five member states most affected by the glut of tariff-free Ukrainian grain dumps: Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria. These five nations banded together and imposed bans on food product imports from Ukraine back in April.
‘My Serbian colleague informed me that it finally stopped raining today, so they are assessing the situation, and we expect their response tomorrow. We are ready to help,’ the Foreign Minister wrote on his Facebook page.
The European Peace Facility was posed to transfer €500 million to Ukraine for artillery round purchases, but the aid was blocked by the Hungarian government. The official explanation for the move is that Budapest would like to see the off-budget EU fund focus on more than just Ukraine, but some believe the blacklisting of OTP Bank may be behind it.
Porsche Hungaria Kft. and Mercarius Fleet Management Ltd. donated two vehicles to the Hungarian Interchurch Aid in order to help their work in Vizsoly and its surrounding area.
Consul Ferenc Papp was among the distinguished guests attending the celebratory event. As he pointed out in his speech, in 2021 and 2022, the Hungarian government spent a total of nearly 5.2 billion forints on renovating the churches and religious facilities of Hungarian communities beyond the borders.
The Hungarian foreign minister reminded that the rights of Transcarpathian Hungarians have been systematically curtailed in Ukraine since 2015, and the most recent example of this is that minority schools have become impossible to operate since September this year.
MFAT State Secretary Levente Magyar stated after inaugurating the Zahalca kindergarten near Kyiv that the new building ‘is a serious sign and indicator of how significantly Hungary is present in the reconstruction of Ukraine.’
‘We believe in connectivity, relationships, and cooperation based on mutual respect. I think the Organization of Turkic States is an excellent example of all this because it includes Caucasians, Central Asians, and Europeans, and we all know how to cooperate with respect,’ Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told the audience at an event in Ankara, Turkey.
Hungarian Ukrainians are grateful to everyone who helps them in these difficult times.
‘For some victims—those killed in the initial impact at 4 a.m. in their homes and businesses—both the story of the disaster and of their lives ended there. For at least 120,000 that survived with injury, or for millions more who escaped bodily harm but are forced to live on with mental scars, shattered livelihoods, or broken families, this quake was merely the opening chapter of a nightmarish story that continues to this day.’
Since the beginning of the war, the Israeli government has consistently resisted pressure both the United States and Ukraine to supply arms to the beleaguered country, facing criticism as a consequence at home and abroad.
Following the two powerful earthquakes at the start of the week, the Hungarian government has confirmed that Hungary is there for Turkey in its hour of need.
Now, another commitment of the Hungarian government’s refugee policy to ‘help on the spot’ has come to fruition.
Hungarian Conservative is a quarterly magazine on contemporary political, philosophical and cultural issues from a conservative perspective.