Szijjártó from Minsk: There is a growing risk of the war escalating, now is the time to think with a clear head

According to Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjártó, the risk of escalation in the Russian-Ukrainian war is increasing, and if ever there was a time for dialogue, it is now. "Now is the time to think and act with a clear head and common sense! Europe needs peace, and this is what we have been standing for everywhere!" the minister wrote on his Facebook page while visiting Belarus, Russia's closest ally.

Szijjártó's post came after Russian drones had violated Polish airspace and were shot down by Polish air defense. According to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, this was the first time that a Russian drone had been shot down in the airspace of a NATO member state. Szijjártó nevertheless did not mention the Polish incident in his post, nor did he specifically condemn the Russian provocation.

The Hungarian Foreign Minister is currently in Minsk, participating in a meeting of the Hungarian-Belarusian Intergovernmental Committee on Economic Cooperation. According to a report by the Belarusian news agency BelTA, Szijjártó said: “Now is the time for us to return to a sensible and rational approach to building bilateral relations with Belarus. The fact that representatives of 17 Hungarian companies have come with me to Minsk proves that there is such a thing as a rational approach. There is a need for and an interest in furthering cooperation based on common sense.”

He noted that, given the current difficult circumstances, the fact that the Hungarian delegation had come to Belarus for economic talks was already a significant achievement. "We Hungarians believe that common sense, mutual trust, and a calm rationality are the most important. When there are geopolitical storms raging, dialogue is our only hope. I do hope that Hungary will always maintain the position that open diplomatic channels are essential for preventing major disasters," he said.

Szijjártó emphasized that Belarus and Hungary have not only established a good relationship at the level of their foreign ministries, but also between their states. He noted that Hungary is ready to discuss arrangements which would further strengthen bilateral cooperation.

Belarusian Foreign Minister Maksim Ryzhenkov said that Belarus and Hungary have similar positions on security and regional matters. According to Ryzhenkov, the talks confirmed that the parties share similar views on regional security and the peaceful resolution of the situation in Ukraine. "We also greatly appreciate that, despite all the pressure, our Hungarian friends have maintained a positive opinion and an unbiased position on the processes taking place in Belarus," he said.