The US, therefore, does not expect the Hungarian government to take any action in the case and this is not a sanction against the country, he added.

The US, on the other hand, is ready to cooperate with Hungary in fighting corruption, Goodfriend said. Rather than trying to find out who the US entry ban impacts personally, ways should be identified in which the two countries could work together to eliminate graft, he said.

Goodfriend said the US is ready to conduct an open dialogue and welcomes honest criticism as this is important in a democracy. This is also why they support civil organisations, which express exactly this criticism, he said.

Goodfriend said they do not only watch Hungary, but follow developments in all countries and take steps, if necessary.

At the time of the political regime change, he said, Hungary was at the forefront of changes, showing an example to other countries. However, the current developments show a kind of negative trend, and the United States does not want that to continue, the diplomat added.

Source www.hungarymatters.hu

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