On another subject, Szijjártó noted that central or eastern Europe had not delegated a UN secretary-general in the past 70 years.

That region is “extremely sensitive” in terms of the war in Ukraine, energy security challenges, tension in the Western Balkans, relations between Russia and the European Union, and “a number of sensitive issues which, it seems, our western European or trans-Atlantic friends my not comprehend in their entirety,” he said.

“Therefore it is a very important interest that the UN should at last have a secretarygeneral from this region”, he said.

Such a candidate, aware of problems of the region and familiar with the attitude of its people, could be instrumental in improving the situation in central Europe and easing its conflicts and tensions, the foreign minister insisted.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.

MTI photo: KKM