U.S. urges Hungary not to block Ukraine’s NATO engagement
U.S. Ambassador to Hungary David B. Cornstein has spoken at a meeting of parliament’s Foreign Committee, covering issues such as the move of the Central European University, the dispute with Ukraine, as well as defense cooperation and energy security, according to a transcript of the ambassador’s speech sent to the Budapest Business Journal.
U.S. Ambassador to Hungary David B. Cornstein
Cornstein urged that Hungary repair relations with neighboring Ukraine and not try to block Kiev’s cooperation with NATO. The ambassador warned that “if Ukraine fails, Hungary will be on the front line of Russian aggression".
Referring to diplomatic row between Budapest and Kiev over Ukraine’s proposed law on the language used in education, the ambassador said NATO is not an organization designed to mediate disputes about ethnic minorities, languages, or schools.
On the CEU, Cornstein said: "We made no secret of the fact that we thought CEU’s departure was bad for Hungary. Resolving this dispute was a one of my top U.S. priorities and was part of my daily discussions with Hungarian government counterparts at all levels. I am truly saddened to see CEU leave."
Cornstein also emphasized the importance of Hungary’s diversity in energy security. “No country can be secure in its energy supply when all its imports come from a single source, and we support Hungary in its efforts to reduce its dependence on Russia in the gas, oil, and nuclear sectors” he said.
In terms of trade and investment, the ambassador said he plans to work further to enhance U.S.-Hungarian business ties.
Foreign Ministry State Secretary Levente Magyar told the parliamentary committee that the differences between the U.S. and Hungary were not strategic, and said he hoped dialogue would help rectify them, according to Reuters.
Avg Hourly Pay Rate for Blue-collar Workers Climbs 16% in Q1
Gov't Wants Sustainable Business Model for Magyar Posta
Job Fair and Career Prep at Corvinus Starts Tomorrow
Spago Budapest Offering Unique Sunday Brunch Experience
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.
