MAE: Hungary's foreign minister distorts meaning of Romanian president's statements

Romania's Foreign Ministry (MAE) has labelled as "provocative and inappropriate" recent statements by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, who is quoted as having said, among other things, that Romania's President Klaus Iohannis should show "more respect for Hungarians."

"The Hungarian official has distorted in an absolutely unfortunate way the meaning of the statements of the President of Romania regarding the bill on the autonomy of the so-called 'Szeklerland' - a topic that is limited exclusively to a domestic debate in Romania on a legislative approach contrary to the Romanian Constitution on which the Hungarian side has no business commenting. Thus, MAE considers the statements of the Hungarian official that the President of Romania's speech is incitement to hatred to be provocative and inadequate and considers it necessary for the Hungarian side to revise its own attitudes and actions that betray disrespect to Romania and high-ranking Romanian officials," reads a press statement released by MAE.

About the comments of the Hungarian official, MAE "emphasises that Romania respects and exercises its constitutional responsibilities towards all its citizens, regardless of their ethnicity, and acts in support of the consolidation of an integrated society based on human, inter-cultural values and mutual respect."

According to MAE, by displaying responsibility towards the very important relationship between Romania and Hungary - strategic partners, EU member states and NATO allies - it has recently refrained from reacting to a series of provocative actions of the Hungarian side, in an attempt to avoid the deterioration, in a completely unjustified and artificial way, of the bilateral relationship.

MAE also calls for "restraint and discernment."

"Given the current context marked by the harmful effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that affects all citizens of our states, the Romanian Foreign Ministry is calling for restraint and discernment and also for full involvement in building a good neighbourly relationship and genuine strategic partnership based on the bilateral legal framework and the common European commitments, for the common advantage of the Romanian and Hungarian citizens, regardless of their ethnicity."

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto reacted to a statement made on Wednesday by President Klaus Iohannis after the Romanian Senate defeated a legislative proposal on the autonomy of the Szeklerland, asking the Romanian head of state to show "more respect for Hungarians."

In a video message on his Facebook page, the head of Hungarian diplomacy states Hungary's interest in having a good relationship with Romania, but statements made in recent days by representatives of the Romanian state make this difficult, referring specifically to President Klaus Johannis.

'' Our interest is to have a good relationship with Romania, because we are important economic partners. At the same time, the interest of the Hungarians in Romania, in the Szeklerland, is that the relationship between the two countries be a normal one. Unfortunately, in recent days, the representatives of the Romanian state have made some statements that make it difficult to maintain a good neighbourly relationship, and today the President of Romania made a truly uncivilized statement, which can incite hatred. President Iohannis should be aware that the vast majority of Hungarians in Romania, in the Szeklerland, voted for him in the Romanian presidential election (...). That is why our request, message and appeal to the President of Romania is a simple one: more respect for Hungarians!,'' says Szijjarto in the video message.

President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday noted the Senate's defeat of a legislative proposal on the autonomy of the Szeklerland and pointed out that such initiatives should never be seen in Parliament again.