– « We are very fortunate to be able to count on North African countries like Morocco, which pursue a responsible security policy. »
– « Peace and security in Africa is an essential precondition for peace and security in Europe »
– « Morocco is now Hungary’s number one trading partner in Africa. »
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó visited Rabat in the middle of the week (15 November). According to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjártó said at a press conference with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Burita, that Europe’s security is bleeding from a thousand wounds today, and Hungary particularly appreciates those partners who can contribute to improving the situation instead of exacerbating it.
He pointed out that there is an armed conflict on the continent and in its immediate neighbourhood, and that migration pressures are increasing, which is becoming increasingly difficult to manage due to the « totally irresponsible » policies of the European Union. In this context, he also pointed out that this year the seven-year record for the number of illegal border crossings at the EU’s external borders could be broken, with 173,000 such attempts recorded in Hungary since the beginning of the year.
« Brussels’ migration policy is irresponsible. Migration should not be encouraged, as it is in Brussels, but stopped by a responsible policy. That is why we are very fortunate that we can count on North African countries like Morocco, which have a responsible security policy. We Moroccans and Hungarians are working together to this end, » he said.
« We consider Morocco to be a bulwark of European security. We thank Morocco for its efforts to control migration, for the stability of the region, and for its firm stance against terrorism, » he added.
« Peace and security in Africa is an essential precondition for peace and security in Europe, » he said. Mr Szijjártó stressed that migration to Europe can only be stopped by eliminating the root causes, which is why Hungarian-Moroccan cooperation in the fields of strengthening security in Africa, combating terrorism and economic development is essential.
He also stressed that the bilateral cooperation is based on mutual respect, adding that « this is possible between us because we are talking about two sovereign countries, which pursue a sovereign foreign policy, which put their national interest first, which do not yield to pressure, do not yield to attempts at intervention. »
Finally, the minister also reported on economic successes and welcomed the fact that Morocco has become Hungary’s number one trading partner in Africa. Last year, the value of trade was close to a record 300 million dollars and this year, too, a 36 percent increase was recorded. He also said it was important that the number of Moroccan students applying for scholarships in Hungary had also reached a record high, with around 1,300 applications for the 165 places available each year.
