MOSCOW, October 22 (RIA Novosti) – Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has asked the US government for evidence which served as the basis for corruption accusations against several Hungarian officials.
"We find it unacceptable that someone doubts Hungary's commitment to the principles of democracy, the fact that we are guided by democratic values and the democratic structure of our society," Szijjarto was quoted as saying by the MTI Hungarian news agency Wednesday.
On October 18, the United States imposed sanctions against certain Hungarian officials and businessmen over their alleged involvement in corruption. The officials, who were not named, were denied entry visas to the United States.
According to Hungarian media, the visa ban could be targeting people associated with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and be a response to Hungary's rapprochement with Russia and critique of the sanctions imposed against Russia by the West.
The United States, the European Union and a number of their allies have imposed several rounds of economic sanctions against Russia, accusing it of supporting independence fighters in southeastern Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly denied the claim, stressing that sanctions are a counterproductive measure.
Last week, Szijjarto said the sanctions imposed against Russia by the West are not helping in resolving the situation in Ukraine and are hurting the economies of EU member-states.
The situation in Ukraine aggravated in mid-April when Kiev launched a military operation against independence supporters in the country's southeastern regions.
