Szijjarto: ‘I will be criticized for visiting Minsk, but Hungary has different point of view'

MINSK, 13 February (BelTA) - My Western colleagues will criticize me for visiting Belarus, but Hungary has a different point of view, Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said following a meeting with Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Aleinik in Minsk on 13 February, BelTA has learned.

"The international liberal press, Western politicians, my partners - everyone will say how bad it is that I came to Minsk and had talks with my Belarusian colleague. But I want to say one thing to that. Hungary's point of view is unequivocal: communication channels should be open. If we close the channels of communication, we will give up hope for peace. We want peace," the minister said.

Peter Szijjarto noted that perhaps other regions or overseas do not perceive the situation in Europe as acutely, but Hungary, which lives next door to the war, is absolutely aware of what is happening. "The war must end. But it will not end if we do not talk to each other and block the channels of communication," he is convinced.

Peter Szijjarto recalled that in the past Belarus hosted the negotiations on the peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine. He expressed the hope that they would resume. It does not matter in which country - in Belarus or Hungary, the main thing is that they take place. "War is always a failure of diplomacy. The end of the war is a success of diplomacy. Diplomacy and communication are something without which it is impossible to achieve peace," the minister said.