Contrary to that “childish lie”, Russian and Belorussian nationals continue to need visas to enter the Schengen Area and can obtain residence permits only through lawful procedures, Péter Szijjártó said.

Meanwhile, issuing residence permits and similar procedures are national competencies, so “Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian authorities have similar rights,” he added.

“It would be much better if my colleagues in Baltic countries informed their citizens correctly rather than launching new smear campaigns,” he said.

Szijjártó: 'Bad' to Watch Poland's Diplomacy 'Sink into Mud of Lies'

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said late on Monday that he had great respect for Polish diplomacy, so it was “bad to watch it sinking into a mud of lies”.

He said on Facebook that he would “reiterate for the thousandth time” that during Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s recent peace mission, the prime minister was representing Hungary and not the European Union.

Szijjártó said it was not wise to talk about isolation in the case of a prime minister and government that were the only ones left in Europe still able to maintain relations both with the West and the East.

“We’re waiting for our Polish brothers to return to central Europe,” he said.

Meanwhile, FM Szijjártó Calls on EC To Take Steps Against Ukrainian Oil Restrictions

Hungary and Slovakia has called for action by the European Commission regarding Ukraine's decision to restrict crude oil deliveries, Péter Szijjártó said.

“Why has the EC not taken any steps for more than a week?” Hungary’s minister of foreign affairs and trade asked in a Facebook entry posted on Tuesday.

“Brussels is silent”, even though the measure is putting the energy security of two member states at risk, and is “a crystal clear violation of the European Union-Ukraine Association Agreement,” Szijjártó said.

Brussels is either too weak to push through the interests of two member states against a membership candidate, “or the whole idea was conceived in Brussels rather than Ukraine, and it is the European Commission, rather than the Ukrainian government, that wants to blackmail two pro-peace countries opposing weapons deliveries,” the minister said.

Szijjártó said: “The European Commission and personally Ursula von der Leyen must immediately show their true colours: was the oil delivery ban requested from Brussels? If it wasn’t, why has the EC not taken action for over a week?”

Szijjártó: Baltic States Launch 'Campaign of Lies' Against Hungary

"Rather than learning the facts the Baltic states have launched a campaign of lies against Hungary ... over Hungary including Russian and Belorussian citizens in its National Card programme," the foreign minister said.

Péter Szijjártó said the Hungarian government’s move “does not ease strict security controls over incoming Russian and Belorussian citizens in any way.”

Szijjártó also said Péter Sztáray, state secretary at the foreign ministry, had earlier in the day informed the embassies of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

“We hope that learning the facts will end the campaign of lies,” the minister said. The “Baltic propaganda campaign” against Hungary has been “restarted”, as Baltic states accused the country of putting the security of the Schengen Area at risk, Szijjártó said on Tuesday.

Contrary to that “childish lie”, Russian and Belorussian nationals continue to need visas to enter the Schengen Area and can obtain residence permits only through lawful procedures, Szijjártó said.

Meanwhile, issuing residence permits and similar procedures are national competencies, so “Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian authorities have similar rights,” he added.

“It would be much better if my colleagues in Baltic countries informed their citizens correctly rather than launching new smear campaigns,” he said on Facebook.

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