Burbock on the EU's boycott of the Budapest meeting

German Foreign Minister Annalena Böhrbock has emphasized the importance of European unity amid a statement by EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell to boycott the planned meeting of foreign ministers in Budapest next month.

According to Yevropeiska Pravda, Burbock said this during a press conference with her Dutch counterpart Caspar Veldkamp, as quoted by dpa.

The German minister warned that “times are too serious for little games.”

She said that the EU should remain “united and determined” and not get lost in the details of the boycotted meeting.

At the same time, commenting on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's “peaceful” trips to China and Russia, Burbock pointed out that Borrell, not Orban, represents the EU presidency in foreign, security and defense policy.

She said that it was not surprising that Orban's actions “caused confusion among many of our partners” and said that she would accept Borrell's invitation to Brussels.

For his part, Veldkamp said that the Netherlands expects the Hungarian presidency to serve the unity of the EU and act as an honest mediator.

He pointed out that Orban's trips were a mistake and that there is no doubt that Russia is the aggressor in this war. He added that there can be no negotiations on the future of the war without the participation of Ukraine.

He also said that he would gladly accept Borrell's invitation to meetings in Brussels, but would decide on participation on a case-by-case basis.

Author - Dmitriy Levchenko, 24/07/2024