The European Union is launching a naval mission to repel the Houthi insurgents and thereby guarantee the safety of cargo ships sailing in the Red Sea, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced in Brussels on Monday.
The minister said at a press conference following a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council that rebel attacks have effectively blockaded the Suez Canal, carrying one-sixth of world trade, causing delays of several weeks and a surge in transport costs.
We do not need another economic crisis beyond our control that would cause price increases on European markets,”
he warned. “This is why we Hungarians have urged in the past that strong, decisive action is needed in the Red Sea to restore freedom and security of maritime transport,” the politician stressed.
Péter Szijjártó noted that in the case of the mission called ‘Aspides,’ in which Greece, Italy, and France are the main players, it is essential to cooperate as closely as possible with the United States and the United Kingdom so that maritime freight transport can once again become predictable and there are no disruptions in supply chains, as was also evident in the case of several companies operating in Hungary.
The mission’s budget for the first year was set at EUR 8 million.
However, this will not be enough, according to Minister Szijjártó. “Therefore, I have proposed to complement the EU naval mission with funding from the European Peace Facility to strengthen the Yemeni coastguard,” he said.
“At the same time, I have also suggested that the Houthis be designated as a terrorist organization, as it is clear that they are committing terrorist attacks and pose a threat to European security,” he concluded.
Following the start of the conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis (Iran-backed rebel group that considers Israel an enemy) began firing drones and rockets at Israel. On November 19, the Houthis hijacked a merchant ship in the Red Sea and have since attacked more than two dozen other ships with drones, missiles, and speedboats. The Houthis claim that they target ships that are Israeli-owned, flying the Israeli flag, or bound for Israeli ports. However, in reality, many of them have no connection with Israel. The major shipping companies no longer use the Red Sea – through which nearly 15% of global maritime trade passes – and instead use a much longer route around South Africa.
The spectacular effect of Houthi attacks from Yemen in the Red Sea:
95% of container ships are forced to circumnavigate Africa
⏳ 22-28 days more to reach Europe
Transport costs quadrupled pic.twitter.com/s3VcLlZTPg
— Xavi Ruiz (@xruiztru) January 13, 2024
As Hungary Today reported, in January, Suzukis’s Esztergom (northern Hungary) plant had to suspend production due to delays in the production of engines in Japan. The halt had to be imposed because of delays in the delivery. The Hungarian factory has since resumed production, but other European and Hungarian companies are also experiencing the effects of the Red Sea conflicts.
Via MTI; Featured image via Facebook/Szijjártó Péter
