President Katalin Novák made that clear on Thursday in Vienna. She referred to a currently ongoing series of meetings between Hungary, Serbia and Austria, at which an improvement the cooperation in this area should be agreed.
In this context, the President pointed out that the recently intensified migration movements the Balkan route a strengthening of protection the Serbian-North Macedonian border is of great importance. Of the Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić had a change in principle at a meeting with Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) and Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Budapest at the beginning of October the promised his country’s visa regulations.
Due to the visa-free status, significantly more Indian or Tunisian migrants entered Austria illegally via Belgrade in the past few months than before. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) recently announced that Austria would take over border protection the Serbian-North Macedonian border with drones and other technical devices.
Novák emphasized that a distinction between “refugees, legal economic migrants and illegal immigrants” is absolutely necessary. “Taking in refugees is our humanitarian task,” said the President, referring in particular to the war refugees the Ukraine. “Legal immigration is the right of sovereign countries, albeit not the Hungary’s way.” Taking action against illegal migration, on the other hand, is very important.
Regarding the Ukraine war, Novák condemned Russian aggression against a sovereign country: “We do not recognize the annexed territories as part of Russia and we stand behind them the Ukraine.” She described the eight packages of EU sanctions against Russia so far as a “good compromise”. Hungary had approved all packages, but the Orbán government is presenting the domestic sanctions as “dictates the Brussels bureaucrats” and the reason for all economic problems. Novák addressed this double game in answering a question the APA not one.
Also Federal President Alexander van the bark thanked Hungary for caring for refugees the Ukraine and also referred to the situation the Hungarian minority in the Ukrainian Zakarpattia region. Of the War in the neighboring country is “of particular importance” for Hungary, also in view of “Ukrainian behavior towards minorities, which – let’s put it this way – is not immune to criticism”. Tensions had increased between the two neighboring countries in the years leading up to the war after Kyiv imposed the mandatory use of the Ukrainian language had spread to more and more areas of life.
It was the first visit to Novák van the bark since taking office in May. The ex-minister for family affairs and former vice-president the Hungarian governing party Fidesz is considered a loyal comrade-in-arms of Hungary’s right-wing Prime Minister Orbán. Novák’s predecessor János Áder last paid a visit to the Federal President in February 2019. The Hungarian head of state is elected by parliament for a five-year term of office the possibility the one-time re-election – and mainly fulfills representative tasks.
Source: Nachrichten
