Hungary has responded to a letter sent by Nordic and Baltic countries expressing concern about Budapest’s decision to make it easier for Russian and Belarusian citizens to enter Hungary.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on August 18 that the letter sent to EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson showed an alarming level of “disregard for fact.”
"We regret to see that our colleagues from Nordic and Baltic countries continue to pursue their campaign of lies directed against Hungary,” Szijjarto said on Facebook.
The letter, signed by ministers of eight Nordic and Baltic countries and sent to Johansson on August 15, expressed concern that Hungary’s decision “may constitute a serious security risk to all Member States.”
All eight countries -- Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden -- are in Europe’s Schengen zone in which travelers can cross internal borders without having to show their passports or other documents.
Estonian Foreign Minister Marhus Tsahkna posted the letter on X on August 16, saying that easing entry for Russians and Belarusians “is not justified when Russia continues its war in #Ukraine & is intensifying hybrid actions against EU.”
The letter said this includes “sabotage, acts of violence, provocations at borders and instrumentalization of migrants.” It said all eight countries concluded at the NATO summit in July that “these actions constitute a threat to our security.”
But Szijjarto disagreed, saying in his response on August 18 that including Russian and Belarusian citizens in Hungary’s National Card program does not pose any security risk to the Schengen area because the Belarusian and Russian citizens who arrive in Hungary must still undergo thorough checks to enter and stay in the country.
“Any claims to the contrary are outright lies from our Nordic and Baltic colleagues who have been blinded by their adherence to the pro-war camp," Szijjarto said.
SEE ALSO: EU Voices Concern, Asks Hungary For Clarifications On Plan To Ease Entry For Russians, BelarusiansBudapest published details of its National Card program last month after it took over the European Union's rotating presidency.
The program is a new fast-track visa system for citizens of eight countries, including Russia and Belarus, to enter Hungary. Budapest has said many of those who enter would be employed in the construction of a nuclear power plant that is contracted to Russia’s Rosatom.
Johansson voiced concern about the decision earlier this month in a letter addressed to Hungarian Interior Minister Sandor Pinter asking Budapest for clarifications. She said Russia is a security threat for the European Union and pointed to the need of "more, not less vigilance."
Russian citizens do not face a ban on entering the EU and the Schengen Area, which also includes non-EU members Norway, Switzerland, and Iceland, if they possess a valid visa and have no ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.