Lebanon's caretaker Foreign Affairs Minister Abdallah Bou Habib meets with Hungary's Foreign Affairs Minister Péter Szijjártó. (Credit: Twitter/@Mofalebanon)
BEIRUT — Lebanon's caretaker Foreign Affairs Minister Abdallah Bou Habib met on Thursday with Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijjártó, speaking about refugee return, the state-run National News Agency reported.
Following the meeting, Bou Habib said in a statement that Lebanon is grateful for Szijjártó's support, "whether at the European level or in international forums."
Both ministers also discussed the "issue" of refugees, with Bou Habib saying: "What is important for us today is the issue of the displaced Syrians in Lebanon," adding that he remains "confident that this cooperation between [Hungary and Lebanon] will continue in the long term."
For his part, Szijjártó said that his country was coping with what he called "illegal immigration," adding "that if the pressure increases, it will not be in the European Union's ability to deal with it."
Hungary borders Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in late Feb. 2022, driving millions of Ukrainians to flee the war.
"We call on the international community to contribute and assist in the return of the displaced Syrians to their country, because we are aware of the great pressure they place on Lebanon," Szijjártó added in a statement on Thursday.
Unsafe for return
International rights organizations and watchdogs have said on multiple occasions that Syria is not safe for large-scale refugee returns and that many returnees "face serious abuses" at the hands of the Syrian authorities, "including arrest, torture, and enforced disappearance.”
Meanwhile, the Hungarian minister also announced that restoration work had been completed on a church in Lebanon that his country has been supporting. Hungary is known for its support for Lebanon’s Christian communities and its aid to church renovations.
Hungary has "supported and financed 33 Christian churches in Lebanon with an amount of $1.8 million," Szijjártó added. "The Hungarian government has also decided to allocate $2 million for the restoration of 30 other churches in Lebanon."
After their meeting, Szijjártó and Bou Habib both took part in a press conference organized by the Free Patriotic Movement on the return of Syrian refugees.