Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told German media that he wants to make the issue of migration the focus of the upcoming Hungarian Presidency of the European Union, reported DPA, quoted by BTA.
In a comment published today, Orbán told the Funke newspaper media group that he welcomes the position of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is considering options for transferring asylum procedures to countries outside the EU.
On July 1, Hungary will take over the rotating presidency of the European Union from Belgium.
Orbán said Hungary already has a policy where asylum applications are processed in third countries, such as the Hungarian embassy in Belgrade, before applicants are given the green light to enter the country.
In mid-June, the Court of Justice of the European Union ordered Hungary to pay a fine of 200 million euros ($216 million) and another 1 million euros per day for failing to comply with an earlier ruling to change its asylum policies.
The decision followed a December 2020 court ruling ordering Budapest to change its procedures for granting international protection and returning third-country nationals.
The EU Presidency position is largely bureaucratic and involves setting the agenda for meetings and steering political discussions towards a solution, sometimes finding compromise between EU members when there is no clear consensus.
Hungary has vowed to be a fair mediator, but Budapest has a stormy relationship with EU institutions on the issues of rule of law and corruption, DPA notes.