Hungary stands by Poland amid tensions with Brussels: FM

“Poland will always be able to count on Hungary’s support during the course of European Union proceedings launched against it,” Péter Szijjártó said on Wednesday, as quoted by the country’s MTI news agency.

The Hungarian foreign minister was speaking after a telephone conversation with his Polish counterpart Jacek Czaputowicz, the agency reported.

According to Szijjártó, as cited by MTI, Poland’s new Foreign Minister, Jacek Czaputowicz, thanked Hungary for its support.

“In disputes with the European Union, be they about migration or the following programming period, the Hungarian and Polish governments will be cooperating as close allies,” Szijjártó was quoted as saying.

Szijjártó in October declared that Poland could always count on Hungary if it ever faced proceedings for sanctions by the European Union or other organisations.

On December 20, Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen vowed that his country would defend Poland against “unjust” and “political” measures by the EU.

Semjen was speaking after the European Commission earlier in the day took the unprecedented step of triggering Article 7 of the EU Treaty against Poland, stepping up pressure on Warsaw over controversial changes to the judicial system by the country’s ruling conservatives.

In early January, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban told Polish public broadcaster TVP that “Hungary stands behind Poland” and that the European Commission’s “procedure against Poland doesn’t have any real grounds and the procedure itself is not right”.

Poland’s Deputy Foreign Minister Konrad Szymański has told Polish Radio in a comment that the Hungarian prime minister’s support for Poland “was entirely enough to end discussions about sanctions" against Poland.

(gs/pk)

Source: IAR, MTI