In a video uploaded to Facebook, Orban said he called the Defence Council meeting because the conflict has entered a new phase with the US bombings.

Notwithstanding the conflict's geographical remoteness, Hungary faced dangers such as the threat of terrorism, new waves of migration and rising energy costs, he said.

"We're not an immigrant country, so we'll be able to protect ourselves against the threat of terrorism effectively," he added.

Whenever a conflict erupts in the Middle East, migration pressure on Hungary's southern borders grows, Orban said, adding that he has instructed the interior minister to pay special attention to this.

Referring to increased energy prices, the prime minister called for the lifting of "regulations and prohibitions in connection with the [EU] ban on Russian energy", especially in light of the negative effect the Iran-Israel conflict has on fossil fuel prices.

Meanwhile, Israeli foreign minister gives interview to Hungarian TV news channel

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar praised US President Donald Trump’s "courageous decision" to order strikes on Iran’s main nuclear sites overnight in an interview with public news channel M1 on Sunday.

Saar said Iran was a country that employed terrorist methods on Europe’s territory, created uncertainty in the Middle East and was led by an extremist regime.

Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon, he added, would be dangerous not just for Israel, but the entire region, as it would lead to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. It would also lead to terrorist states and groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon or the Houthis in Yemen getting hold of nuclear weapons, he said.

Saar said Iran had mocked the International Atomic Energy Agency’s conclusion that its nuclear programme failed to meet non-proliferation obligations, and opened a new enrichment facility.

Concerning Israel’s war with Iran, Saar said that while Israel was attacking Iran’s nuclear and military facilities, Iran was deliberately targeting civilians.

The minister condemned Iran’s actions as a war crime, saying that though Israel has suffered civilian losses, its air defence systems had prevented even more deaths.

He said Israel had known that there would be casualties, but if it had delayed further and Iran had developed a nuclear bomb, it would have posed a far greater threat the the country. Israel, he added, had no choice but to act after Iran declared its intention to destroy Israel.

Saar said Israel was progressing well in carrying out its plan, but it was not finished and was still making significant advances. He emphasised that Israel’s conflict was not with the Iranian people but the regime in Tehran that wanted to eliminate Israel. It was for this purpose, he said, that Iran was helping to train and fund Hamas and Hezbollah and why it wanted to obtain nuclear weapons.

Asked about the situation in Gaza, Saar said Israel had agreed to US special envoy Steve Witkoff’s proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release deal, adding that it was difficult to take steps unilaterally, as Hamas had not responded to the proposal.

The minister said Hamas was to blame for the war and the suffering endured by both Israelis and Palestinians, adding that the terrorist group was also hampering Israeli efforts to get humanitarian aid into the area.

As regards the Israeli hostages being held by Hamas, Saar said that last night alone the Israel Defence Forces were able to bring back the bodies of three hostages to Israel.

Israel estimates that 20 of the 50 hostages still in Gaza are alive, he said, adding that Israel wanted to bring everyone home.
 

Saar said that after Hamas was gone Israel would strive for peaceful coexistence in Gaza, adding that it did not matter who they had to cooperate with as long as it was someone who was not involved in terrorist attacks.

Concerning Israel’s relations with Hungary, Saar said Hungary was a friend of Israel and a country that set a "moral standard" in foreign policy, which was rare in international relations.

Saar said Hungary had acted morally when the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister and the former defence minister. He said it was important that Hungary was able to differentiate between right and wrong, adding that he appreciated the friendship of Hungarians.

He said he spoke often with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, and they wanted to further strengthen bilateral relations.

Saar said he hoped to return to Hungary soon at the head of an economic delegation.

Szijjarto: Hungary's interest for no new nuclear weapons to be created

Hungary's best interest is for no new nuclear arsenals to be created anywhere in the world, Peter Szijjarto, the foreign minister, said before a meeting of the country's Defence Council on Sunday.

Szijjarto lamented the grave situation in the Middle East, saying: "We Hungarians have an interest in the restoration of peace in the Middle East ... and the chance for people to live in calm and safety there ... [without] the constant threat of terrorism."

The region's security is tightly bound up with Europe's security, and Hungary is therefore interested in the quick establishment of peace and stability.

"We're interested in preventing escalation" and "a direct confrontation between the great powers" in the Middle East, he said, adding that the formation of new nuclear arsenals in the world must be prevented.

The minister noted phone talks he had on Sunday with Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar and Russia's Sergei Lavrov, as well as with Bahraini and Jordanian counterparts Abdul Latif Zayani and Ayman Safadi, respectively.

Hungary, he told them, wants the situation in the Middle East prevented from escalating, "as this would imperil European security".

Szijjarto also had phone talks with International Atomic Energy Agency director Rafael Grossi, conveying to him that Hungary "stands for nuclear security in the world" and the prevention of new nuclear arsenals from being formed.


Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881. While MTI articles are usually factual, some may contain political bias, and readers should be aware that such content does not reflect the position of XpatLoop, which is neutral and independent.

Since the goal of XpatLoop is to keep readers well briefed, right across the spectrum of opinions, MTI items are shared to ensure readers are aware of all narratives within the local media.

XpatLoop believes in empowering readers to form their own views through complete and comprehensive coverage. To facilitate this XpatLoop has a balanced range of news partners, as you can see when you surf around XpatLoop.com

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