News in English     | 16.03.2021. 16:34 |

Turković and Szijjártó: COVAX mechanism has failed

FENA Hana Imamović

SARAJEVO, March 16 (FENA) - Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó, who is visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina, talked today with BiH Foreign Minister Bisera Turković about cooperation between the two countries, as well as the coronavirus pandemic and the issue of migration. 

According to Turković, this is the second official visit of Minister Szijjártó in the past 11 months during the global pandemic, which is an important sign of friendship between the two countries, adding that she deeply appreciates Hungary's relationship and thanked for its assistance to BiH.

She stressed that Hungary was a contact country for NATO in the period from 2019 to 2020, and the mandate has been extended for 2021 and 2022, that at the same time works on sharing experiences on the processes that have gone through NATO integration, but also in accession processes to the European Union.

Given that Hungary will take over the presidency of the Council of Europe for a period of six months and the Visegrad Group for a year from May 21, Turković expressed hope that this presidency will be marked by the implementation of the Sejdić-Finci judgment of the European Court of Human Rights.

“Relations between the two countries are extremely good without open issues, and today's signing of the agreement in the field of sports is another sign of good mutual relations,” Turković underlined.

She also welcomed a large number of signed agreements between the two countries and expressed hope that the Draft Agreement between the Council of Ministers of BiH and the Government of Hungary on the exchange and protection of classified information would be signed soon.

Preparations for the signing of agreements concerning the prevention of terrorism and crime, taxes in the field of culture and scientific cooperation, as well as memoranda in the field of youth and education, are also in the process of being completed.

Given that Hungary is the BiH contact country for NATO, the BiH Council of Ministers, with the help of the Hungarian Ambassador to BiH and his colleagues from the United States and the NATO Headquarters in BiH, established the NATO Cooperation Commission and adopted last year's Reform Program.

She also confirmed that they discussed the migrant crisis and the moves that BiH is taking in this regard, as well as the pandemic and the fight against Covid-19 and the procurement of vaccines.

“Having in mind the weaknesses of the COVAX mechanism and the fact that we have not yet received the ordered and paid vaccines, I believe that the distribution of vaccines must be more even and fairer,” she added.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó underlined that Hungary is close to the countries of the Western Balkans and that it is extremely important that peace, security and development prevail in this region.

“That is why it is necessary to accelerate the process of Euro-Atlantic integration, and since your security and development are also guarantees for our security and development. The focus of Hungarian foreign policy will be on supporting the countries of the Western Balkans,” he added.

He believes that the countries of the Western Balkans now need help and support, given that the region is under double pressure - mass migration and a pandemic.

“The stronger the region of the Western Balkans is so that it can resist both phenomena, the more stable and healthier we are in our country. Now is no longer the time to talk about supporting the region of the Western Balkans, but for Brussels to do something concrete,” Peter Szijjártó said.

Speaking about migration, he expressed the view that it also increases the risk of a pandemic, and BiH is facing great pressure in that regard, so Hungary is ready to send a unit of 15 members of the Border Police to help guard the borders in BiH.

They will continue to support BiH's efforts in Euro-Atlantic integration, and remain a contact country for NATO, leaving 53 soldiers in the joint peacekeeping mission of the European Union and NATO.

(FENA) A. B.

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