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Minister of State Link meets Hungarian Foreign Minister in Budapest

02.07.2012 - Press release

Michael Link, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office, is travelling to Budapest tomorrow (3 July) for talks with Hungary’s Foreign Minister János Martonyi and Minister of State for European Affairs Enikő Győri. He will also be meeting members of the Opposition. His talks will focus on topical European issues. In light of everything that has happened since Prime Minister Orbán’s Government took office, the visit is moreover an opportunity to gain an impression of the political situation within Hungary.

In advance of the visit, Minister of State Link issued the following statement in Berlin today (2 July):

“I wish to use my first visit to Hungary as Minister of State to discuss the future development of the European Union with the Hungarian Government and Opposition during this crucial time.
Germany has good reason to be grateful to Hungary. The human compassion which Hungary demonstrated in 1989 was what made German unification possible. The mass exodus through Hungary from the GDR made the first cracks in the Iron Curtain – and it was thanks to those cracks that the Berlin Wall could be brought crashing down.
The European Union stands for immutable values, such as the rule of law, pluralism and civil liberties. In light of the partnership and particularly close relations enjoyed by our countries, we in Germany are always especially attentive to developments in Hungary – including developments regarding democracy and the rule of law.
Having a two-thirds majority in the country’s parliament places a great responsibility on the shoulders of the Hungarian Government, the duty to use it with particular care in exercising its rights, the majority should always be considerate of the rights of the minority to guarantee the legitimacy of its actions.”

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