Foreign minister: Hungary committed to combatting terrorism

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó on Thursday inaugurated new offices of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) in Budapest, and said that Hungary was committed to helping the fight against terrorism to succeed.

“Early detection and pre-emption are more important today in fighting terrorism than ever before,” he said.

UNOCT is a main player in the fight against international terrorism and it greatly contributes to maintaining security and peace around the world, Szijjártó said. By opening a regional centre in Budapest, UNOCT has given Hungary an important role in the global fight against terrorism, he said. Meanwhile, the largest UN organisation, the UNHCR is expanding in Budapest, he said.

Seven UN organisations employ some 1,500 people in Hungary, Szijjártó said.

At the same time, Szijjártó said it was in Hungary’s interest that the UN’s operations became “more flexible and effective”.

He called a structural and operational reform “inevitable”, and called for the UNOCT to be fully integrated into the organisation’s budget as part of that process.

UNOCT is bringing high value-added processes to Hungary which require high levels of expertise, and also present an opportunity for serious developments, Szijjarto said. He pledged the Hungarian government’s support for the new functions.