USA-HUNGARY/SZIJJARTO-ENTRY BANS Hungary: US should reveal "concrete" reasons for entry bans on six Hungarians

Record ID: 565606

  • Title: USA-HUNGARY/SZIJJARTO-ENTRY BANS Hungary: US should reveal "concrete" reasons for entry bans on six Hungarians
  • Date: 21st October 2014
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 21, 2014) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF HUNGARIAN FOREIGN MINISTER PETER SZIJJARTO (PRONOUNCED PEE-TER SEE-AR-TOE) WALKING INTO U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT (SOUNDBITE) (English) HUNGARIAN FOREIGN MINISTER PETER SZIJJARTO, SAYING: "Of course I asked, but the Assistant Secretary told me that according to the American legislative framework, she is not in a position to tell me concrete names and concrete issues or credible background informations. I told the Assistant Secretary that of course we are ready for open dialogue in this issue. We count on the American administration to give us the concrete background information, the concrete reasons why these persons - Hungarian citizens - have been accused by corruption. Unfortunately she was not in a position to tell me concrete names and concrete issues because of American legislation. But still, I would like to underline that if you accuse someone with corruption, then you should give the proper and credible information why you have done so." (SOUNDBITE) (English) HUNGARIAN FOREIGN MINISTER PETER SZIJJARTO, SAYING: "We agreed that our cooperation on the field of security and economy is working properly, I could say it is excellent. We understood from Assistant Secretary Nuland that the United States appreciates our contribution to the success of the Afghanistan mission, and they do appreciate strengthening our commitment towards the NATO operations on the last summit and the efforts regarding the reverse flow gas delivery to Ukraine from our side was appreciated as well." STATE DEPARTMENT EXTERIOR SZIJJARTO WALKING OUT OF U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
  • Embargoed: 5th November 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA1XOJFW3XQMZFBCB88B1MXCXS1
  • Story Text: The United States should reveal its reasons for banning six Hungarians from entering the country, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Tuesday (October 21) after meeting with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland.
    "We count on the American administration to give us the concrete background information, the concrete reasons why these persons - Hungarian citizens - have been accused (of) corruption," Szijjarto said in an interview outside the State Department in Washington.
    The United States said on Monday (October 20) the entry bans were issued as a warning to Budapest to reverse policies that threatened to undermine democratic values.
    An American diplomat in Budapest said on Monday the individuals were public servants or people with government connections. Their banning last week came after a long series of warnings from Washington, the embassy said.
    Corruption was one symptom of Hungary's weakening democratic institutions, U.S. Chargé d'Affaires André Goodfriend said.
    A 2004 Presidential proclamation allows the U.S. government to ban foreign nationals whose corrupt conduct hurts U.S. interests, without providing proof of the charges.
    Szijjarto said the administration has an obligation to show evidence to support the corruption allegations.
    "I would like to underline that if you accuse someone (of) corruption, then you should give the proper and credible information why you have done so," he said.
    He added that Hungary and the United States remained strong allies and economic and defense cooperation between the two countries was excellent.
    "We agreed that our cooperation on the field of security and economy is working properly, I could say it is excellent. We understood from Assistant Secretary Nuland that the United States appreciates our contribution to the success of the Afghanistan mission, and they do appreciate strengthening our commitment towards the NATO operations on the last summit and the efforts regarding the reverse flow gas delivery to Ukraine from our side was appreciated as well," he said.
    Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government has clashed several times with the European Union and the United States over reforms that critics said harmed some foreign investors and weakened the system of checks and balances in the former Communist satellite.
    Orban, re-elected for another four-year term in April, said in a speech in July that he aimed to build an "illiberal state" in Hungary, citing Russia, China and Turkey among successful models.

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