Of the opening to the East Martonyi said it follows from the Hungarian government’s opening to the world. As for 25 years Hungary had European and Euro-Atlantic ambitions, in the past four years it sought a broader opening, he said. Bearing in mind, on the one hand, historical and emotional considerations, Hungary opened to the Central European neighbors in its region and, on the other hand, to the eastern world: mainly to the PR of China, India and Japan, focusing on their economic dimensions, Martonyi added.

Premier Viktor Orbán has visited Russia to discuss thorny issues: natural gas and nuclear energy. That relationship with Russia is mostly economic in character, Martonyi stressed.

Asked by Le Monde why Orbán had not visited Washington in the past four years, Martonyi admitted that it was a regrettable fact but added that Orbán wasn’t to be blamed for that.

When asked why Orbán wasn’t invited, Martonyi asked back. Who benefits from the media criticism of Hungary? His answer: it’s the radical Right that benefits from it. It’s the extremists that benefit from media hostility, Martonyi stated.

Martonyi attributed the decision to expand the Paks nuclear power plant of Hungary to the need to reduce Hungary’s dependence on natural gas, and he ascribed Hungary’s choice of Russia to build the two new reactors to the fact that Russians had built the plant to start with and the plant is functioning properly. Depending on Russian natural gas is one question, he said, but commissioning Russians to build the nuclear power plant is another because Paks belongs to the Hungarians but natural gas doesn’t.

The most delicate question, Martonyi said, is what status Russia will have in the 21st century. He expressed the conviction that Russia and Europe are interdependent.

Martonyi warned however that President Vladimir Putin is committing a historical mistake, which is regrettable for his nation and to which the response needs to be trans-Atlantic and European unity and sanctions.

Martonyi continued that in a few weeks’ time Putin can gain something, the Crimea or a little bit more, but the price to be paid for those gains will be very serious in the long term.

He added that it is in Russia’s interest to have strategic cooperation with Europe.

Asked about potential further sanctions, Martonyi declared that Russian natural gas is a precondition for Hungary’s economic survival; consequently the ways and means must be found to ensure Hungary’s uninterrupted access to natural gas.

Responding to Le Monde’s question if Putin hasn’t created a precedent for Hungary to seek protection for ethnic Hungarians beyond Hungary’s borders, Martonyi gave the tongue-in-cheek response that Hungary has other methods for achieving that end. Hungary keeps human rights and minority rights on the agenda but has no territorial claims whatsoever because it has accepted its territorial losses.

Martonyi recalled his end-of-February visit to Ukraine to calm down emotions there relative to the some 150 000 to 200 000 ethnic Hungarians there. Presently the Hungarian government has what he called the best possible relations with Kiev and he expects Ukraine carefully to prepare the drafting of its language law.

Martonyi expressed the view that for psychological, political and military reasons NATO should strengthen its presence in Poland and the Baltic states but that it should happen, as he put it, within certain limits and with caution because the situation must not be exacerbated. Martonyi called the uneasiness of the inhabitants of Baltic states understandable.

Hungarians, too, could start discussing history with Russia, he said, but this is not the right time for that.

Responding to Le Monde’s observation that in the European Union many think that Hungary is pushing democracy’s limits too far, Martonyi said that Hungary belongs to the European Union; the majority of Hungarians have voted [at the relevant referendum] to that effect. There has indeed been some criticism of Hungary, he admitted, but Hungary has settled those institutional problems by legislative means. Media criticism is another issue, he said, there have been some misunderstandings there.

[Originally published by Index Hungarian current affairs website on April 18, 2014. Please be aware of potential “side effects” of translation from French into Hungarian and then into English.]

Translated by Budapest Telegraph

Source: Index