Speaking on the evening of the first day of the UN General Assembly, Szijjártó said he had used the gathering of delegations from nearly 200 countries to discuss issues mainly with foreign ministers of non-European countries. He also attended an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers focusing mainly on the Sahel, where recent conflicts are threatening to spill over to other regions, the ministry said. Instability, he said, led to stronger waves of migration, and since Europe already faced a serious security risks from the east, another threat from the south could have severe consequences, he said. Szijjártó said that in his meetings with several Asian, Latin American and African counterparts it had become clear that Hungary’s position rooted in “honesty and the representation of national interests” was greatly appreciated outside Europe, as it did not kowtow to the international liberal mainstream or seek “pats on the back”. Szijjártó said the international community was all the more understanding of Hungary’s stance as Hungarians were also losing their lives in the war.