Global security is in greater danger than ever before in the past seventy years; the threat of terrorism and the risk of a third world war breaking out have never been so severe, warned Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó on Thursday, 8 June in Riyadh.
During the joint US–Saudi-led meeting of the global coalition fighting against the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organisation the minister highlighted that the risk of a third world war has never been greater. He also mentioned the unprecedented ‘open and shameless references to nuclear capabilities’ and emphasised the increasingly serious threat of terrorism. He emphasised that Hungary contributes to the success of the fight against the Islamic State and continues to support the most vulnerable communities so that they are not forced to leave their homes.
‘In the coming period, Hungary will support sixteen development programmes in Iraq and Syria, aimed at renovating and operating schools, operating hospitals, as well as various important religious, humanitarian, and social institutions for these communities, so that they do not have to leave their homes,’ he listed. He mentioned that the total value of these programmes is 1.6 billion Hungarian forints.
Hungary also maintains a military presence in the region,
with 134 Hungarian soldiers currently participating in an Iraqi training mission
as part of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.
‘Furthermore, we support the United Nations’ efforts to prevent Islamic State fighters escape accountability. In other words, we want to shatter the myth of impunity and make it clear that committing acts of terrorism, suppressing communities, and forcing communities to leave their homes are serious crimes that will be duly punished,’ he announced. Péter Szijjártó stated: ‘As Hungarians, who face challenges from the East and the South, we are perfectly aware that protecting global security is impossible without resolute and effective action against terrorism.’
He added that within this framework, the focus should be on defeating the Islamic State, since in recent years, it has repeatedly appeared in various parts of the world, even in Africa, despite several instances where it seemed it had been defeated, especially in the Middle East. ‘We know precisely that terrorism not only poses a danger in itself, but the real danger lies in the fact that terrorism and mass migration create a vicious circle,’ he said.
He pointed out that the higher the risk of terrorism, the greater the chance of increased migration pressure on Europe, adding that Hungary is now among the first to face waves of migration as the Western Balkan route has become primary. ‘Therefore, combating terrorism is a key issue for Hungary,’ he stated, stressing that Europe would be unable to deal with two security challenges simultaneously as the consequences of the conflict in Ukraine are still extremely serious.
The minister concluded that global security is currently in greater danger than at any time in the past seventy years. ‘The open references to nuclear capabilities are as forceful as never before in the past seventy years, and the global threat of terrorism is as severe as never before in the past seventy years,’ he said. ‘So, we must unite our forces in order to achieve peace in our eastern neighbourhood and avoid migration pressure from the south. This requires a victory over terrorist organisations.’
