Hungarian FM: Georgian Gov’t being “pressured for conservative views”, “pro-peace stance” on Ukraine war

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has claimed the Georgian Government is “under pressure” from the West due to its “conservative approach” and “pro-peace stance” on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

In an interview with Imedi TV on Tuesday, during a Hungarian state delegation’s visit to Georgia, Szijjártó said his Government also faced “similar treatment for promoting conservative values and a pro-peace outlook”. 

You know, we have been in office in Hungary for 14 years now, and for those 14 years, we have faced daily criticism”, he said, asserting this came from “a very strange definition of democracy” allegedly prevalent in the West.

“According to this definition, if liberals run a country, it's considered democratic, but if a conservative or non-liberal party wins, the country’s democratic credentials are questioned”, he claimed.

Defending the Georgian Dream Government’s policies on family and a package of recently adopted laws for “protection of minors” -  criticised internationally for “restricting sexual minority rights” - Szijjártó said, “we have to stick to our own values. There are areas where no compromise should be made, particularly in the protection of children”. 

Responding to criticism over Georgia’s recent law on transparency of foreign influence - a ruling party initiative adopted this year aimed at “increasing oversight of foreign-financed domestic organisations” - Szijjártó claimed the Georgian Government “wants to avoid foreign interference, which I think is a very legitimate aim”. 

Comparing Georgia's stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict to Hungary’s, the Minister noted, “like Hungary, the GD authorities have faced attacks for taking a pro-peace position”. 

He added, “we may be in the minority in Europe among political leaders, but on the global stage, those who support peace are part of a significant majority”.

Discussing the war in Ukraine, Szijjártó criticised the West’s reliance on sanctions and arms supplies to Ukraine, saying, “it’s clear this strategy has failed. Sanctions are not working, and the impact of weapon deliveries has not changed the reality on the ground”.

He added Russia “continues to gain territory”, adding “it’s time to shift to a pro-peace strategy”.