Katalin Novák at the meeting of the Arraiolos Group - It is essential to establish peace in Ukraine as soon as possible

Peace must be established in Ukraine as soon as possible and an escalation of the war must be avoided, stressed President Katalin Novák at a press conference in Porto following the meeting of the Arraiolos Group.
Katalin Novák stated that the participants in the meeting agreed on the need to show unity and support for Ukraine. Hungary is providing political, financial and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. 

In addition to the need to establish prompt and sustainable peace, the participating heads of state also discussed the future of the European Union at the consultation. In outlining her position on the European Union in five points, President Novák emphasized the necessity of strong leadership within the EU, the importance of efficient and corruption-free institutions, and the need for robust member states "We all need to adhere to the treaties, show mutual respect, and focus on demographic challenges”- emphasized Katalin Novák.

We need strong leaders in the European Union (EU) who can manage internal conflicts and are able to demonstrate the EU's strength in politics in the broader sense of the world as well as in the global economy, said Katalin Novák, adding that the treaties and the principles of solidarity and subsidiarity must be taken into account. 

"We must adhere to the treaties and show mutual respect towards each other," she emphasized, highlighting that the EU is an alliance of strong nation-states, and it should remain so.

As the third point, she emphasized the need for efficient institutions, free from scandals and corruption. Furthermore, she added that the accession process of Western Balkan countries to the EU should be accelerated, and the prompt inclusion of Bulgaria and Romania into the Schengen Zone is necessary.

As the fifth point, she mentioned the demographic challenges and the increasing danger caused by illegal immigration. She stated that understanding the root causes is essential for the development of both collective and individual solutions.

Katalin Novák recalled that Hungary will assume the rotating presidency of the European Council in the second half of next year, during which the focus will be on demographic challenges. She emphasized that "having children is saving the world."

This year, the presidents of 13 countries participated in the regular consultation of the Arraiolos Group: Italy, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Malta, Latvia, Hungary, Poland, Finland, Portugal, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Slovenia.
The Arraiolos Group, named after the location of its first meeting, was established in 2003 by Jorge Sampaio, then President of Portugal. It involves the participation of heads of state from current as well as prospective European Union Member States who are not typically part of the direct executive power. The main objective of the Group is to discuss current challenges and topics facing EU member countries in the framework of European cooperation.