Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter Szijjarto highlighted Iran’s role in helping work out a lasting solution to regional problems, saying without Tehran’s help such a solution cannot be achieved.
“We believe without Iran’s involvement there will be no lasting solution to the problems in the Middle East,” Szijjarto was quoted by IRNA as saying in a meeting with President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran on Monday.
Praising Rouhani for his efforts to facilitate dialogue among different religions, he said, “Budapest welcomes consultations among all ethnics and religions.”
The Hungarian official stressed that the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all countries in the Middle East should be respected, saying, “The lives of all human beings are equally valuable and we believe that Muslims and Christians share the responsibility of combating terrorism.”
Rouhani, for his part, appealed to all countries to contribute their share to the efforts to help stamp out terrorism.
“All countries should realize that terrorism does not benefit anyone,” he said, adding, “(They) should join hands to help identify the roots of regional and international terrorism to eradicate it.”
Describing as “good” the progress achieved thus far in the negotiations between Iran and the major powers, which are seeking a settlement to the long-running dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program, Rouhani said, “If there is serious resolve on the part of the other side to the talks, we can reach the deal before the deadline.”
The two sides have set a June 30 deadline to finalize the details of the deal.
“Iran has proved to have entered the talks with a transparent approach and strong resolve,” he stated.
Pointing to the abundant opportunities available for expansion of Tehran-Budapest ties, Rouhani said, “Iran and Hungary can act as a bridge between the Middle East and Central Europe.”
Zarif, Hungary FM Confer
The foreign minister also met his Hungarian counterpart on Monday to discuss regional and international issues and explore ways to improve bilateral relations.
“The solutions Iran has put forth in its plans to address regional disputes are based on dialogue and peaceful methods which do not involve any foreign meddling,” Mohammad Javad Zarif said, stressing, “We believe any other solution (without such considerations) will lead to further escalation of terrorism, extremism and violence.”
He underlined the necessity of mounting an “inclusive” and “comprehensive” campaign against terrorist groups, particularly the Islamic State (IS), which has managed to expand the scope of its operation beyond the Middle East to affect parts of Africa and Europe as well.
