Developing Ties with Hungary A Priority for Iran: FM

In a phone conversation with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on Friday, Amirabdollahian referred to the results of his Hungarian counterpart’s trip to Tehran last year and the agreements reached between the two countries, saying “development of relations with Hungary is a priority for the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The Iranian foreign minister hailed the growing level of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, saying the establishment of a joint economic commission in the near future can provide a suitable platform for accelerating bilateral relations.

Elsewhere in his remarks, he underlined the need for a “political solution” to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, saying the Islamic Republic continues to enhance consultations between Russia and the former Soviet state to achieve the goal.

Stressing Iran’s principled stance of rejecting wars and sanctions, Amirabdollahian said, “The Islamic Republic urges focus on a political solution to resolve the crisis in Ukraine, and in this regard, continues the efforts and consultations between Moscow and Kiev to strengthen and advance the political solution to speed up the resolution of this crisis.”

The top Iranian diplomat also said Tehran helps ensure energy security and food security across the world following the war in Ukraine, adding, “We have had discussions with Russian and Ukrainian authorities in this regard.”

Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine in late February, following Kiev’s failure to implement the terms of the Minsk agreements and Moscow’s recognition of the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. At the time, Russian President Vladimir Putin said one of the goals of what he called a “special military operation” was to “de-Nazify” Ukraine. Two days prior to the military operation, Moscow had officially recognized the two breakaway regions as independent republics. Luhansk has already fallen under the full control of Russian forces.

Since the onset of the operation, the United States and its European allies have supplied billions of dollars worth of weaponry to Ukraine and imposed unprecedented sanctions on Moscow, despite Russia’s repeated warnings that it will only prolong the war.

Szijjarto, for his part, appreciated Iran’s efforts to establish stability in the region and the world, saying, “We want peace in Ukraine and stability in the Middle East, and in this regard, we appreciate Iran’s role in establishing stability in the region and holding the Astana summit in Tehran.”

The Hungarian foreign minister added, “As a neighboring country of Ukraine and due to the potential dangers caused by the continuation of this crisis and the continuation of conflicts in this country, including a wave of refugees and illegal immigration, we demand an end to the war as soon as possible.”

Elsewhere in the phone call, Szijjarto emphasized the need to improve bilateral relations between Tehran and Budapest, saying that the Hungarian government has always supported Iran’s balanced approach in international forums and in the further development of bilateral ties.

He expressed readiness for the expansion of relations in various fields with Iran, and welcomed the establishment of a joint economic commission.

Szijjarto thanked Iran’s attention to the issue of energy security and underscored the importance of energy for Europe and the world, saying, “Iran’s stronger entry to the global energy market is in line with the interests of the world’s entire countries and nations.”