Hungary will continue to stand firmly by Georgia and rejects any attempt within the EU to impose sanctions on Georgian leaders for resisting the international liberal mainstream, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó declared on
Monday in Budapest after meeting Tbilisi’s mayor Kakha Kaladze.
Szijjártó cited Kaladze’s sweeping victory in October’s local elections as clear proof of public confidence.
He jokingly added that Kaladze could offer useful advice to Budapest’s mayor on govern-
ing a capital city.
Szijjártó stressed that Hungary and Georgia are led by patriotic, peace-oriented governments with excellent relations.
Hungary, he said, understands what it means to “swim against the tide” and not fully conform to mainstream expectations. Commenting on international criticism of Georgia’s government – which aligns itself with Russia rather than the EU – Szijjártó argued that attacks from liberal media should be seen as a badge of honour, reflecting a sovereign, patriotic political course. Governments that follow Brussels unquestioningly may earn media approval, he said, but fail their own citizens.
Szijjártó concluded that Hungary will never accept EU sanctions on Georgia and expressed hope for a broader patriotic shift in European politics.