Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó admitted that he regularly contacts Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during private EU meetings. The confirmation comes following reports last weekend that Szijjártó was routinely in contact with Lavrov during meetings in Brussels, communicating with him during breaks.
According to the Washington Post’s unnamed security source, "every single EU meeting for years has basically had Moscow behind the table".
Earlier, the Hungarian government dismissed the allegations as fake news, but on Monday (23 March) evening, Szijjártó confirmed the calls at a campaign event, arguing that EU decisions on energy, the automotive industry, and security directly affect Hungary's relationships with partners outside the bloc.
"Yes, these issues must be discussed with our partners outside the European Union. I talk not only to the Russian Foreign Minister, but also to our American, Turkish, Israeli, Serbian and others before and after European Union Council meetings," Szijjártó said.
Szijjártó denies any claims of breaching security protocols, and added that no confidential information was discussed with Lavrov
Source: commonspace.eu with Euronews
