After the media reported that Germany requested the introduction of sanctions against officials in Republika Srpska (RS) at a meeting of the European Union’s (EU) political and security committee and that Hungary opposed that initiative, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in an exclusive interview that Hungary did not consider sanctions tool number one, because all previous sanctions imposed by the EU have not achieved results. Also, he said that Prime Minister Viktor Orban had confirmed that he was coming to Sarajevo in the coming days.
”I do not like the direction in which the foreign policy of the EUis developing. From what I see now, the only tool of European foreign policy is sanctions. Whatever happens anywhere in the world, the answer from Brussels is sanctions, sanctions, and sanctions. If you look at the past, sanctions have not contributed to achieving the needed goal, ” he stated.
”There was no specific political proposal, no draft was offered, so there is no problem that we will oppose. We have only made it clear that we do not think that sanctions are the number one tool in such situations because again I remind of past experiences. The sanctions imposed by the EU achieved no result. What I think needs to be done, and I have advised my colleagues, is to come to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), talk to officials in Sarajevo and Banja Luka, try to understand the situation, and offer help and a solution. “
”We are glad to be able to talk to all three sides in BiH and offerhelp in solving certain problems,” Szijjarto said.
“It is vital for us that BiH be a safe and stable country. I believethat the stability or instability of the Western Balkans also determines our security situation.”
I think that the EU has a unique opportunity in this area, but if it does not start solving it immediately, that opportunity will be lost, he pointed out while speaking about the EU’s positiontowards the Western Balkans.
Prime Minister Orban will soon visit Sarajevo
The head of the diplomacy was asked whether the visit of the Prime Minister of his country, Viktor Orban, to the member of the Presidency of BiH, Milorad Dodik, in RS was semi-private or private, and he pointed out that it was a working visit.
“It was a working visit. The Prime Minister was invited, and whenever someone invited him he came. Today Tegeltija called me and handed me the invitation for Prime Minister, and invited him to Sarajevo. He will come to Sarajevo in the following days and meet with officials!
According to what Szijjarto told, Orban should visit Sarajevo in the upcoming period and meet with all three members of the Presidency, among other things.
“He received an invitation from his colleague the Prime Minister, that is, the chairman of the Council of Ministers, and he accepted it, which he confirmed to me.”
