TIRANA, Nov 23 /ATA/ Hungary is holding the rotating 6-month presidency of the European Union, and according to Péter Sztáray, the State Secretary for Security Policy in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Albania has made significant progress on its path to EU integration during these months.
In an interview, the Hungarian minister emphasized that significant steps have been taken forward in terms of security and democracy.
Certainly, during this second presidency of Hungary, we have achieved many important things for the European Union regarding the enlargement project, the protection of democracy, increasing security in the EU, migration, and also in terms of economic steps. During our presidency, positive steps were also taken by Albania, such as the opening of negotiations on the first cluster with the EU, and we hope that very soon, the opening of other clusters will follow,” Péter Sztáray told public broadcaster RTSH.
The fifth meeting of the European Political Community brought together leaders from across the continent in Budapest, Hungary. For Minister Sztáray, the leaders discussed the security challenges facing Europe.
“In fact, various meetings were held, with representatives from non-member countries also participating. And for me, this is a good way to discuss the issues. The meeting focused on the future of Europe in the face of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, irregular migration, and issues related to economic security, as well as connections in energy, transport, IT, and global trade,” he emphasized.
Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, the Hungarian minister emphasizes that it is crucial for the parties to sit down for discussions.
“The conflict in Ukraine is certainly a concern for all of us as it affects our borders and has a negative impact on our economies, in addition to security. We want peace as soon as possible; the parties must start peace negotiations so that peace, stability, and security are restored in Europe,” he explained.
Focusing on the relations between the two countries, the Hungarian minister emphasized that they have been strong for centuries.
“The relations between our two countries have been historically very good, and this continues with the visits of prime ministers, which are a testimony of this relationship. We are now focused on increasing trade relations between us, as many Hungarian companies are investing in Albania, and we hope that very soon Albanian companies will come and be able to invest in Hungary.
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