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ah. the welcome back. this is our to international. let's get back to our top story now. in an almost hour long and of the year phone call, russian president vladimir putin has warned his u. s. counterpart against escalating sanctions while president biden has made a pledge not to deploy offensive strike weapons to ukraine to discuss this and other issues that have shaped this past year. a little bit further, we're joined live by a very high profile guest, hungarian foreign minister peters. you are to miss your foreign minister. certainly glad to have you with us. from your unique perspective, you can help us get a sense of what's happening this year. but let's start 1st with what we put in and

joe biden. they spoke for almost an hour with nato expansion intentions around the ukraine and a focus of their talks. president biden made a pledge not to deploy offensive strike weapons in ukraine. so what do you think it means? just days before a high profile security talks in geneva, which come at a very complicated diplomatic time. well, good morning to you. first of all, i had a meeting yesterday with my russian colleague. so good luck, roland. he has breathed me about the plan at the time because it took place yesterday that the 2 presidents would talk to each other in the evening. i was very happy to understand this because for our central europeans, it's extremely important that east and west that the united states and the russian federation have a direct and continuous dialogue. we are very happy with the fact that the 2

presidents spoke again. we do believe that there is nothing which could substitute the direct discussion between the 2 presidents we. we feel that the more they speak to each other, the better a day might understand each other and the better they might understand each other, the better day can resolve all of those issues which, which are like challenges in our region. we central europeans have a very clear lesson we have learned from history. and this lesson says that whenever there is conflict between east and west, that is bad for the central european area. and vancouver east and west has a good relationship. it is good for us in the central europe as well. so for us, so for us, a, a direct discussion between the us on the russian federation

serves our national security interests. so you can discuss relations between russia and the west without talking about nato. of course, it's the elephant in the room. so russia recently proposed a security deal in which demand nato stop expanding eastward. do you think an agreement will be struck on that point? look, re understand that there is going to be negotiations between the russian federation and nato as well. we are very satisfied with this fact also because if nato and the russia talk to each other, then there's a much bigger and better hope for any kind of common understanding and agreement about this part of the world. look, we really do consider the the security situation of central europe as a crucial issue for us and anything that helps to resolve challenges here and ease

tensions around the region service our interest. so that's why we are really interested in successful negotiations between nato and the russia at the beginning of next year. something you touched on a little bit earlier. i want to go back to that if you don't mind mister foreign minister. what is the mood in the european union with regards to the latest tensions between russia and u. s. lead nato. maybe from the political standpoint and even on the ground with regular people. sorry, i didn't get in. could you please repeat? because somehow the, the, the sound was certainly live tv. sometimes these things happen. my question is about the mood in general about the european union in regards to the latest tensions between russia and the u. s. i mean, how is this being taken from the politic standpoint? and from the people on the ground, ah, for us you, it should be understood that our role and weight,

but it comes to global economy and the global politics have been somebody decreasing in the past. i mean if you look at our share of global g d p that has shrink from 21 percent to 18 percent. if the look at the fact of brack said that definitely becomes the european union. unfortunately, we have not been progressing too much in the larger procedure at all. and the europe in union has been facing a crisis when it comes to energy supply not to speak about all the economy challenges posed by the pandemic situation. and that have to relate the challenges also. so i do believe that all of these challenges we have been facing in europe should make everybody to understand that a better eurasia and cooperation, a better cooperation between the european union and the russian federation. a

better european, better cooperation between european union and the east, as such will definitely serve our interest just to give you one idea, we hung arians have made a decision at the very beginning of this year. i was here, i think, in the very same room giving an interview to russia today at that time. also that we made a strategic decision that we bought vaccines from russia in order to upgrade them to accelerate our vaccination campaign. at the beginning of this year. we have done it because we understood that there were, there are issues, there are areas, there are no political approach is being appropriate. you cannot secure the life. you cannot guarantee the energy supply of the people. i political statement you, you have to be irrational. you have to be pregnant and i think that there is kind

of a need. there is kind of a desire in many european countries to be more pragmatic to be more practical on certain issues. i think that one of the reasons why europe in union is weakening recently is that there are too many issues being over politicized, and over idealized and brussels. we should look at issues in a more simple way. we should look at the issues in the more pragmatic and practical way, and as far as i have a feeling or experience from the mood of the people in hungary, in europe, there's a, there's a demand for looking at the issues on a practical and pragmatic basis it certainly sounds good to take a step back and do the simpler talks back and forth. that is certainly good point. you touched on something again about the energy crisis, and that is a big sticking point between the west and the east. in russia,

north stream to pipeline, they have been caused by the west to hold the project. if russia invades ukraine, but at the same time, the west is warning moscow not to use nor stream to as a political leverage. what are your thoughts on that, and how is this helping anyone? look, i am representing the country for which the natural gas supply is crucial. since we do not have our own national resources, that's why we are exposed to the international regional european development of energy supply. and the, maybe this is not the most sophisticated sentence you ever hear from a politician on energy or gas supply. but our understanding is that the, the more pipelines the better, the more pipeline there are 2 to supply the customers,

the bigger security you do have, we hunger rios have been following these patterns. we have a 7 neighbors out the which we have 6. we have already interconnected the each other with the gas pipelines on some of the interconnect or is there is, there has been no significant let's say trading taking place. but those pipelines are there. those have a strategic significance and the importance and if, hopefully not. but if there are some turbulence is or disturbances when it comes to the normal. busy supply mechanisms, then we do have the backups, then we do have the reserves. so i do believe that the more pipelines there are is the better for the customers. of course, there are regulations to which we definitely have to stick to. there are regulations which or the pipelines or the operating companies, or the owners must reese the fact. but there are europe in offer. it is which

oversee or supervise these kinds of issues. but you know, i do believe that, i am honest with you as always, i do believe that the that the, the more pipelines diversification, all the delivery route is important for, for everybody. for example, to ukraine as well. we hunger ariens have be in the service as a transit country for ukraine. the to t. s o is ukrainian than hungarians have just made an agreement on allowing gate transit of 700000000 cubic meters of gas to ukraine through hungary. during the 1st 3 months of next year, if we had not invested in interest in the infrastructure in hungary, if we had another view of interconnected, if we had not be pipelines in hungary room, we will not be able to serve as a transit country for ukraine either so i do believe that this issue should be

looked at from the perspective of the security of supply. this issue should be looked at from the perspective of the european customers. and this issue should be looked at from the perspective that we, europe, should avoid, should prevent further crises when it comes to energy supply, including a natural gas supply in europe. i think we can both agree that regulations are needed, but it's those regulations that are holding things up right now. the pipeline is still waiting. you clearance to start gas deliveries even though it's construction was completed back in september. do you think that it will ever get the green light to start supplying gas to europe, or is it always going to be the political hold up? while i'm not quite sure i'm the right person to be asked about this issue, since i have no offer. if i understood that there were meetings between the members

of the new german administration and your foreign minister just recently on the margins of the g. 20 meeting and on the margins of the o. s. e. for a minute. serial. meeting in stock home as far as i understood from my friend and colleague mister love road, there are some very practical and pragmatic approach represented from both sides. we all know that germany has a key and crucial role in this, in this regard. since it can be considered as a german russian project, i do believe so a lot to depend on the approach of the, of the german government that is being new in burling. now, the political structure in europe is pretty complicated. it has its own governments and then it has the european union itself, but politicians in general in europe are accusing russia, calling the energy crisis unilaterally, while russian gas exporter gas problem says that it is fulfilling its supply

obligations. how do you view the statements? look, i understand that i understand that it is very easy. it is very easy for politicians to 2 finger point on the one specified country on one specific person on one specify a decision in order to push responsibility away. you know, i'm responsible for the international energy negotiations on behalf of our government. and i know that things are much more complicated compared to what is being said by some european colleagues of ours. i can tell you about my own the example. it's not easy to agree with you guys from, but whenever you agree with gas from, you can be sure that the agreement is being kept. this is, this is my experience so far. the russian federation on the gas from have always

been very reliable partners from hungary when it comes to the supply of, of natural gas. all the contracts have been respected at the schedule was respected. the volumes arrived always on time. and as far as i understand, no one in europe complains about about why elating contract buy gas from. so what we can say is that gas from the russian federation respects the contracts which were assigned between european countries, european companies, and russia and gas from. so i understand that the complains might be bow no further or no additional volumes, but this is a commercial issue. this is a trade issue and, and i think it depends on, on the capability and the capacity of the,

of the countries or the companies to agree on. i do believe that there have been many mistakes committed on behalf of the european side as well. i considered the, the negative discrimination against, against the nuclear as a huge mistake. we essential europe or argue in favor of level playing fields. when it comes to the nuclear energy, we consider nuclear as a safe as a clean, as a sustainable as a d carbonite way of generating energy. we think that it was a big mistake to create kind of an anti natural gas sentiment. in the, in europe we should, we should not have created that kind of atmosphere around the natural gas. and i do believe that in that some political sions have been misusing the, the green idea, the idea of environmental protection. because we do consider environmental

protection of the extremely important, but once you use it as a solely communication or element in politics, you basically discredit this very important issue. so. so this, this whole thing i think is much more complicated than just finger pointing on 11, the country or one person or one decision. indeed, now you just brought up the green initiative in the you can we talk a little bit more about that? i mean, the, you have been actively pursuing a move towards the green energy and stepping away from natural gas. how do you see this as an energy policy for the european union as a whole? look, i think here we have to think speak and act responsibly. because i'm in the, in the responsible way sort because it's such an important issue to prep, to protect our environment and preserve the globe as it is for our successors. but in order to be able to carry out

a successful environmental protection policy, you have to be serious. you should not use it already for goals of political communication. we are proud in hungary that we are among those 21 countries on earth. busy we have been increasing g d p while decreasing emissions. and we could create the situation through a responsible way of environmental policy. and namely, we always consider economy development and environmental protection. to go hand in hand. if the balance is being broken, then you cannot fulfill your goals. we are doing our best in order to meet the

climate change in the climate goes of the european union by 2030 and by 2050 as well. we have be in the building. the 2nd nuclear power plant of the country, we have been investing a lot in solar. but once again, i would like to underline that creating a anti natural gas approach. an anti natural gas sentiment in europe is, is really bad, is something that we should prevent underwood. and we have to make it very clear that during the transition period, up to 2030 and then to 2050 gas, natural gas will be needed. cannot talk about the past year or the past 2 years without talking about the global pandemic. colby 19, it's on the forefront of everyone's minds. there's new waves coming up, new variance coming out. it has been a long time though,

since international vaccinations against coven 19 began. many countries have now made inoculations mandatory for at least some of their citizens. with penalties for those who refuse. what do you think about the idea of mandatory vaccinations? well, this has been, it has been an our agenda as well to to see how we can further increase the number of those who get the vaccination because we do consider it as the only solution for the crisis. we try to encourage all of the hungarians to, to get the, the racks in. we have been kind of successful in disregard around $6300000.00 hunger areas have already been vaccinated. we are in pop free in europe. when it comes to the 3rd shots, we were the 1st or 2nd in europe to reach the 60 percent rate of vaccination.

that's why we could reopen our economy as the 1st country in europe with which we have taken a big one page and, and our growth rate at the end of the year we'll exceed the 6 percent 6.5, maybe so. so for us, it's crucial to increase the number of those who have already been vaccinated, but we have not decided in favor of the get 3 vaccination. what we have bomb was that we have given the right to employ ers, that they can make a vaccination obligate to re, for their own employee by the national level. we have not made this decision. we try to encourage people, there are way enough vaccines in the storage is around 10000000. and this means that all hung areas can get there for a 2nd. and 3rd, charlo, so they don't even have to weigh they. there are some days when they can take part

in the vaccination without registration. so while we have everything a disposal, everything is offered to the people and we hope that even without making vaccination, i'll be get 3 more. and more of those who have not been vaccination will show up just a couple of more questions. i can't talk about vaccinations without talking about russia's wouldn't v and the vaccine is still not been approved by the you. can you give us a little bit of a, a push a little some help there? well, i do believe that the fact that the new car has not been the recognized by the international organizations is a purely political issue. you know, when i, when i talked to western european colleagues of mine, they always tell me that, well, they all know that the, the russian scientific community is out standing. they all know that the russian medical solutions are successful. they all know that the russian vaccines

are safe and effective, but it is being a political issue this, this all, most of them tell me on, of course that, that, that, that basis and not officially and not hopefully we in hungary have a very clear experience as i told you more than 6000000 hungarians have been vaccinated. we have been using 6 different types of vaccines, including including sino farm and, and for western types of vaccines. pfizer rosters and come with them and youngs. and so we have a very colorful experience, and i can tell you that none of the vaccines are worse than any other meaning that all vaccines have been using are safe and effective. include exporting exposure performs very well in hungary, a little bit less than 1000000 hungarians have been vaccinated by that,

including myself and which has contributed a lot to our successful vaccination campaign. i can just express my hope that the, that the international decisions regarding recognizing us, we will be made soon. and i do hope that these decisions will be made on a purely, on a professional basis without any kind of political approach. unfortunately, so far my experience is different than my hope, but i hope that my hope you overcome the experience. all right now, and we don't have a lot of time. but lastly, mr. foreign minister, the russian president has awarded you with the order of friendship for your contribution to the development of russia hungry relations. firstly, i would like to congratulate you on that. and secondly, could you tell us how ties between the 2 countries are thriving? look, i'm very proud of this award and i'm,

i'm very thankful to the president. i was awarded me and to the foreign minister, the colleague of mine was handed over this war to me yesterday. i can tell you that hungary, the hungary, on people, the hungary and nation, have taken a lot of benefit out of the successful rational hungarian cooperation. we can say without any kind of exaggeration, that this year 2021 was the most successful year ever. when it comes to the bilateral relations, 2 major crises have been managed by the hungarian government. why the help of a good cooperation with russia? namely, we were able to, by splitting the back scenes, basically as a 1st country in, in europe with which we could save lives of the people. and after long discussions, we could sign the long term gas supply agreement with russia. jobs before the energy crisis has broken out, so we have secured the gas supply of our own country,

unlike some others in europe during the western part of the rook. so these 2 major issues adding to that a huge hungarian, the russian and project in egypt, namely delivering more than $1300.00 railway carriages to the national railways, which is the biggest ford or ever received by the hungarian transportation industry . so if we have enough food emphasis in the recent years on, on maintaining these respect and trust based cooperation with russia, regardless of all the negative global and regional developments, we wouldn't have been able to reach these these successes. and these successes have been serving the interest of the hungarian people. and this is the most important for me when it comes to the foreign policy strategy of mine to serve the interest of the hungarian people and not to please or satisfy international media.

because this is not my number one goal to be on. 100 foreign minister peter c r. tow. it was a pleasure to speak with you today on our international. thank you. thank you. still haven't gotten. thank you. right, this is our teacher national. my colleague column great will be here in just under 3 minutes. stay with us. ah ah, with 2021 rapidly coming to an end this time for some reflection. what will we remember about this year? how did our lives change? also, we look forward to the new year. what does 2020 to have in store for us? will we be living in interesting times with

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ah, that line from our say, joe biden promise is that the united states won't deploy offensive strike weapons in ukraine during an hour long conversation with him uprooted as the crisis over the country stretches towards the new year. one of the year's biggest issues, vaccine inequality leading charity, late by how poor countries struggle to binoculars against cobit while wealthy nations let big farmer read astronomical prophet and determined to stay in the new year with a bank germans banned from buying fireworks the 2nd year in a row because a cove it flocked to poland to keep the party going with hello good.