BUDAPEST, November 29. /TASS/. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has called on the EU leadership to repeal the sanctions it has placed on Russia because of the Ukraine conflict.
"It is time for the European Union to finally abandon its policy of sanctions and restrictions. It is time to face the truth and admit that sanctions and restrictions have affected and continue to negatively affect the European economy," Szijjarto said in a video message on his Facebook page (banned in Russia, owned by the Meta corporation, recognized as extremist in Russia).
Szijjarto said that he discussed the impact of sanctions on the international economy on Friday at meetings with the leadership of the World Trade Organization and a number of other international organizations in Geneva.
The minister noted that the sanctions policy causes "very serious damage to the free functioning of world trade." He also said that the Hungarian government intends to solve this problem through a policy of economic neutrality, developing mutually beneficial relations in the economy and trade with both Western and Eastern countries.
He reiterated that political agendas have no place in this matter.
"We, Hungarians, are defending ourselves from the extremely dangerous economic policy of European sanctions through a strategy of economic neutrality. The strategy of economic neutrality can protect Hungary from the consequences of Brussels' failed measures and put the Hungarian economy back on the path of long-term growth," the Foreign Minister said.