Szijjártó confirms discussing closed EU decisions with Lavrov

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has confirmed that he regularly holds closed consultations with russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. He said this in his video address.

Szijjártó also called it a part of normal diplomatic work, which is necessary to protect the interests of Budapest.

"Yes, these issues need to be discussed with our partners outside the EU. I talk not only to the Russian foreign minister, but also to our American, Turkish, Israeli, Serbian and other partners before and after EU Council meetings. My words may seem harsh, but diplomacy is about talking to the leaders of other states," Szijjártó said.

According to him, the EU's decisions on energy and industry "directly affect" Hungary's relations with countries outside the bloc, so he considers it appropriate to discuss them with moscow and other capitals.

The minister also sharply commented on allegations that he allegedly violated security rules by broadcasting information "live" during the meetings.

"Assumptions about the existence of any security protocols belong to the category of nonsense. All ministers, except for me, bring their phones to the hall. No secrets are discussed at the ministerial level," he emphasized.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, the European Commission is waiting for explanations from Hungary regarding the reports of information transfer to russia.