Hungarian Foreign Minister Arrives in Minsk Despite EU Sanctions on Belarus

On Wednesday, June 9, the Hungarian Foreign Minister arrived in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, to discuss the expansion of relations with Belarus. This comes at a time when Belarus is under European Union sanctions, and Hungary is a member of this political-economic entity. According to the Associated Press, Peter Szijjarto, the Hungarian Foreign Minister, stated: 'Our position is clear. The fewer the sanctions, the more cooperation there will be.' The European Union has imposed extensive sanctions on Belarus due to the suppression of protests that followed widespread allegations of fraud in the 2020 presidential election. The sanctions and isolation of Belarus intensified after Alexander Lukashenko, the country's president, allowed Russian forces to use its territory for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Peter Szijjarto, in Minsk, remarked that 'sanctions are ineffective' and indicated that Hungary is increasing economic cooperation with Belarus in areas not affected by sanctions. This Hungarian official said, 'We will support the development of cooperation.' According to the report, Belarusian and Hungarian officials signed an agreement on cooperation in nuclear energy, which includes training personnel and managing radioactive waste. Meanwhile, Sergei Aleinik, the Belarusian Foreign Minister, expressed hope that after Hungary takes over the rotating presidency of the European Union in July, it will help encourage a 'healthy process' in Europe. He said, 'People are tired of confrontation, pressure, and escalating tensions.' Earlier, Viktor Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungary, stated on June 4 that his country would stay away from any NATO operations aimed at supporting Ukraine, indicating that this military alliance and the European Union are moving towards more direct confrontation with Russia. Mr. Orban told Hungarian state radio: 'We do not approve of the ongoing NATO plan to provide more military support to Ukraine in the coming years and do not want to participate in financial or military support (for Ukraine), even within NATO.'