Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 18 December (BelTA) – The Belarusian government did well during its presidency in the Central European Initiative (CEI), Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said in an interview to Belarus One TV Channel, BelTA has learned.

“The Belarusian government has done an excellent job. The whole process was organized well and effectively. Croatia, which is to preside in the organization in 2018, should study the Belarusian experience,” he said.

According to Peter Szijjarto, Hungary views the Central European initiative an extremely important organization. “The debate continues in Europe about the future of the continent. They almost always start with emotions. If these emotions are demonstrated too early, the result can not be any good result. Central Europe has always been able to provide and maintain much-needed common sense in such disputes and discussions. The country represented in the Central European Initiative plays a very important role in discussing the future of both the European Union and Europe as a whole,” he stressed.

Speaking about the level of relations between Belarus and Hungary, the minister of foreign affairs and trade noted that these relations have been vibrant. “We have always built cooperation with Belarus on mutual respect. We do our best to avoid any interference in the internal affairs of other states, as we are, frankly speaking, fed up with the attempts to interfere in our internal affairs,” he explained and clarified that this is the key approach of Hungary to foreign policy which simplifies the process of building strategic and friendly relations.

“We appreciate the efforts that your country has been making to build closer relations with the EU and the countries of Central Europe, and we certainly support them. We are in favor of removing all existing sanctions against Belarus. I believe them to be irrational and contrary to common sense. We oppose restrictions in respect to your country and try to stimulate the development of a new approach to the relationship between the EU and Belarus,” he stated.

Within the framework of its presidency in the CEI Belarus hosted a number of events, including a CEI ministerial meeting, a ministerial conference on science dedicated to the development of biotechnology and pharmaceutics, the CEI Parliamentary Assembly, a ministerial conference on mutual ties and compatibility in the CEI region, aligned with the new Silk Road, a meeting of national coordinators, and a working group on the CEI management.

The Central European Initiative was founded in 1989 to promote the development of sustainable ties between the states of Central, Western and Eastern Europe in politics, economy and culture, and also to prevent the emergence of new dividing lines in Europe. Today this regional association includes 18 countries: Austria, Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Croatia, Montenegro, and the Czech Republic. Belarus joined the CEI in June 1996.