Tunis: Hungary will soon take over the presidency of the European Union at a time when "Europe is facing many crises and serious threats, including in particular the scourge of irregular migration affecting some European countries," Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said after his meeting with President Kaïs Saïed at the Carthage Palace on Monday. The European Union's policy on irregular migration harms both European and North African countries, he said. The risks of irregular migration affect both the receiving countries and the countries of origin of the migrants, he stressed. In order to effectively combat the scourge of irregular migration, it is essential to "bring about changes in the European Union's policies". To achieve this, it was imperative not to cooperate with migrant smuggling and human trafficking networks and not to support non-governmental organisations that help African migrants cross the Mediterranean to European shores in exchange for money, he added. Ins tead of supporting smuggling networks and NGOs with tens and hundreds of millions of euros, the Hungarian minister said, the European Union should instead help law enforcement agencies and coastguards in North Africa to contain the pressure of migratory flows and deal with this scourge. The Hungarian official also stressed that the European Union should banish "the policy of diktat" towards North African countries and establish relations based on mutual respect.' He also called for the strengthening of development programmes for African countries. If Europe really wants to protect itself against the threats of terrorism and irregular migration, it must support the law enforcement authorities in North African countries, he stressed. He called on the European Union "not to interfere in Tunisia's internal affairs" and "not to exert any pressure that could destabilise the country". He called for cooperation based on equality and respect and for support for Tunisia in its efforts to combat irregular migration and promote economic development. Regarding bilateral relations, Péter Szijjártó pointed out that Tunisia and Hungary are two "sovereign" states that "do not accept foreign interference in their internal affairs". Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse