A country can only join NATO if it does not threaten the security of its members – Szijjártó

NATO has reaffirmed its "open door" policy, but it is clear that a country can only join the military alliance if it does not threaten the security of its members, but strengthens it – Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Bucharest on Wednesday.

At a press briefing during a break of the NATO foreign ministers' meeting, the Foreign Minister said it was telling that Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and Moldova had been invited to the meeting.

Szijjártó also said that he had consulted with the Finnish and Swedish foreign ministers and told them that their countries' accession to the alliance would not be hindered by Hungary. "It will not be delayed for a single day because of us," Szijjártó said, adding that there are matters about which Finland and Sweden need to reach an agreement with Turkey, and he hopes this would happen soon.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade also said that Wednesday's NATO meeting focused on the global effects of the war in Ukraine, including the economic recession, the growing terrorist threat and the energy crisis, addressing all of which would require serious efforts and common sense according to him. He stressed that many people had touched on relations with China, and he said that regarding this, Hungary certainly did not want NATO to become a kind of anti-China bloc, nor does it support rendering economic cooperation with China impossible.