BUDAPEST, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Sunday pledged to keep Hungary an "island of security and calm" during a massive rally marking the anniversary of the country's 1848 revolution and war of independence.
Addressing tens of thousands of supporters in front of the Parliament building, Orban warned that the conflict in neighboring Ukraine could further escalate and reiterated his government's opposition to deeper involvement in the conflict.
Orban also criticized Kyiv over recent tensions surrounding oil transit and bilateral relations, while describing Hungary as a "peace-loving and patient nation."
The speech followed a "Peace March" organized by government supporters earlier in the day. Participants marched from Margaret Bridge to Kossuth Square under the slogan "We will not become a Ukrainian colony," which organizers said symbolically expressed concerns about national sovereignty.
The rally comes ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for April 12. Orban, who has been in power since 2010, said the country would "choose its destiny" in the upcoming vote.
Meanwhile, the opposition Tisza party held a separate "National March" on Sunday. ■