Szijjártó repeats call for ‘fair’ Brexit deal
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó once again called for a “fair agreement” in Brexit negotiations that will enforce both European and British interests, after meeting David Davis, the United Kingdomʼs Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, for talks in Budapest on Thursday, according to reports.
Szijjártó and Davis at the press conference after their talks. (Photo: MTI/Attila Kovács)
“We respect the decision of the British people on Brexit, but we regret that this is a loss for Europe,” Szijjártó said, quoted by the official Hungarian government website kormany.hu.
According to the Hungarian minister, a free trade agreement that is “as comprehensive as possible” should be negotiated between the European Union and the United Kingdom, while the minister also urged the U.K. to stay within Europeʼs security and defense systems, Hungarian wire service MTI reported.
Szijjártó noted that he believes a relevant agreement should ensure “a balance of rights and obligations after Brexit,” as far as the U.K.’s contributions to the mutual EU budget are concerned.
Szijjártó underlined that no “concessions” can be made in relation to the rights of Hungarians working in Great Britain, as these should remain protected.
According to kormany.hu, official British statistics show there are 55,000 Hungarians working and studying in the U.K., although it notes that some estimates go as high as 200,000.
Kormany.hu cited Szijjártó as saying that Great Britain is Hungary’s 11th most important trade partner, and also the seventh largest investor in the country, with some 800 British companies currently operating here providing jobs for some 51,000 people, adding that “it is no exaggeration to state that the Central and Eastern European region could lose the most as a result of Brexit.”
Hungary Gasoline Prices 3% Over Regional Avg
Hungary to Address Future of Cohesion Policy During EU Presi...
Cordia’s Marina City Project Begins
Budapest Airport Wins 'Best Airport in Eastern Europe' for 1...
SUPPORT THE BUDAPEST BUSINESS JOURNAL
Producing journalism that is worthy of the name is a costly business. For 27 years, the publishers, editors and reporters of the Budapest Business Journal have striven to bring you business news that works, information that you can trust, that is factual, accurate and presented without fear or favor.
Newspaper organizations across the globe have struggled to find a business model that allows them to continue to excel, without compromising their ability to perform. Most recently, some have experimented with the idea of involving their most important stakeholders, their readers.
We would like to offer that same opportunity to our readers. We would like to invite you to help us deliver the quality business journalism you require. Hit our Support the BBJ button and you can choose the how much and how often you send us your contributions.
