Szijjarto meets Russian deputy foreign minister

Budapest, November 20 (MTI) – Peter Szijjarto, Hungary’s foreign minister, met Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov for talks on migration, the Syrian situation and energy, in Budapest on Friday.

Szijjarto said after the talks that the threat of terrorism in Europe has reached an unprecedented level and that the 6,000-10,000 migrants entering Europe unchecked on a daily basis pose a serious security risk to the continent.

It is now clear that terrorist groups take advantage of the migrant crisis and send fighters to Europe, Szijjarto said, adding that the majority of migrants originate from countries with which Europe is at war.

Szijjarto called it shocking that certain European politicians still favour the concept of open borders and continue to say that it has positive effects. “How many more casualties or terrorist attacks do we need to get European politicians to do something about protecting the borders instead of just talking about it?”

Szijjarto said one of the reasons why his talks with Titov were particularly important was that Russia has joined the campaign to stabilise Syria, stressing that Russia’s efforts are crucial for resolving the crisis. He expressed hope that Russia and the transatlantic alliance will soon agree on cooperating in stabilising Syria.

The minister said Europe’s interests lie in bringing an end to the fighting in Syria and starting peace talks, adding that it is currently “pointless” to talk about who would lead the country once peace has been restored.

Szijjarto reiterated that Hungary rejects the idea of a mini-Schengen, which would exclude central European countries from the bloc. Szijjarto said the countries that speak of establishing an exclusive club are the ones that have up until now spoken up for open borders. Hungary is currently the only country that complies with Schengen rules, he said.