Opposition leader slams Hungarian foreign minister’s visit to Belarus

February 16, BPN. Contacts of high-ranking Hungarian officials with Minsk harm Budapest, said Belarusian opposition leader Sviatłana Cichanoŭskaja.

Her remark comes three days after a meeting of Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter with his Belarusian counterpart, Siarhiej Alejnik.

“Missiles fly from the territory of Belarus while a representative of Hungary comes to Belarus,” she said. “At the very least, it is insincere.”

She noted that Hungary was one of few European Union countries to shun Belarus’ pro-democracy opposition.

“What kind of diplomatic relations can you have with the illegitimate representative of the state who lost the election?” Cichanoŭskaja said, stressing that Belarusian authorities continue political crackdown and keep torturing people in prisons.

Prior to the visit, Szijjártó said on Facebook that he went to Belarus to “represent the position of peace” over the Russian-Ukrainian war.

Minsk and Budapest have similar approaches to the situation in Ukraine as they oppose Western supplies of weapons to Ukraine and advocate a peaceful resolution of the conflict, Alejnik said after the meeting.

Both countries also have to take into account Western sanctions against Belarus while building economic ties, the Belarusian official noted.