Hungarian FM claims his country “completely against” sanctions on Georgian officials, promises veto

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó on Tuesday said Hungary was “completely against the fact that Georgian government officials should be put on a sanction list”, assuring "If any such proposals are received, we will veto them”.

"We will not let this happen, we stand by our Georgian friends”, he added.

In his remarks at a press conference with the visiting Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili, Szijjártó claimed Hungary would provide Georgia “any kind of support”.

“If the opposition had won the [October parliamentary] elections, Brussels would be loudly proclaiming that Georgian democracy has never been stronger. But now that a conservative party [ ruling Georgian Dream] has won, they are doing everything in their power to dismiss and ignore the will of the people, questioning the democratic choices expressed by the Georgian people in free elections in a completely undemocratic manner. This is indeed a serious and transparently boring game played by the liberal mainstream, which we strongly reject”, he said.

He also emphasized that Hungary remained “fully committed” to supporting Georgia’s European integration efforts, “unlike Brussels, where the liberal mainstream is working to alienate Georgia”, adding this “approach is not only harmful but also dangerously misguided”.

“We call on Brussels and the international liberal elite to respect the decision of the Georgian people and not to question the sovereign right of the Georgian people to decide their country’s future”, he noted.

He also urged Brussels and the international “liberal elites” to respect the decision of the Georgian people and “not question their sovereign right to determine the future” of their own country.

Szijjártó also highlighted the bilateral relationship between the two countries, noting the strategic partnership agreement signed in 2022. 

“Trade turnover has increased by 34 percent. The Hungarian airline Wizz Air is a leader in the air transportation sector. Hungarian pharmaceutical companies are expanding their activities continuously. We offer Georgian students scholarships every year to study at Hungarian universities”, Szijjártó added.

He also emphasised the importance of facilitating the project for the Black Sea submarine cable, which aims to create a new transmission route to deliver green energy from the South Caucasus to Europe.