FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
China has offered to deepen security cooperation with Hungary, underscoring Budapest's warm ties with Beijing, after Hungarian officials snubbed a visiting delegation from Washington.
The Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, met on Friday with the Minister of Public Security of China, Wang Xiaohong. In comments published by China's official news agency, Wang was said to have expressed a desire to deepen cooperation in several areas including counter-terrorism, fighting transnational crimes, security and law enforcement capacity building under the Belt and Road Initiative. on the way.
The aim, according to the Chinese minister, would be to make law enforcement and security cooperation a new point of bilateral relations. Hungary is a member of the EU and NATO, making China's offer highly unusual.
Budapest, which also maintains closer ties to Moscow than any other EU member, has nurtured a relationship with Beijing. Last year, Orbán was the only EU leader to attend a Belt and Road Initiative forum in Beijing. Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD has said it will open its first European manufacturing plant in Hungary.
In a statement about Friday's meeting with Wang, a spokesman for Orban said the prime minister had stated that respect is increasingly lacking in international diplomacy, but that between Hungary and China has always remained.
The prospect of greater security cooperation between Budapest and Beijing comes at a time when Hungary's relations with its EU and NATO allies are at a low point.
While Hungary's standing in Western capitals has been deteriorating for years, Budapest's decision to renege on a promise not to be the last to ratify Sweden's bid for NATO has further undermined confidence.
Budapest's isolation was demonstrated over the weekend at the security conference in Munich, where top Hungarian officials were absent. However, in a speech in Hungary on Saturday, Orbán signaled a change, announcing that we are on track to ratify Sweden's accession to NATO.
The lingering tensions were on full display over the weekend, as Hungarian officials refused to meet visitors from Washington.
"The allies have been waiting for Hungary's action on Sweden's admission to NATO for 21 months. Unfortunately, a number of senior Hungarian government officials and Fidesz parliamentary representatives refused to meet with the highest bipartisan delegation of the US Congress to visit Hungary in years ," he added.
In his weekend speech, Orbán - who is facing pressure and internal political protests amid a scandal that led to the resignation of the country's president - made his preferences clear.
" We cannot interfere in the elections of other countries, but we would very much like President Donald Trump to return to the White House and make peace here in the eastern half of Europe ," he concluded./ TheGuardian
Lini një Përgjigje