Bavaria satisfied with Hungarian bilateral relations

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán attended the first part of a meeting between a delegation of Bavarian parliament’s European affairs committee and Hungarian parliament’s foreign affairs committee on Monday which focused on migration, the future of the European Union and bilateral ties.

Zsolt Németh, the head of the Hungarian committee, told the press during a break in the meeting that Bavaria and Hungary approach the issue of migration in similar ways.

“Being able to protect Europe from migration is necessary for the continent’s long-term future and the protection of external borders is the most important common task,” he said.

“This Hungarian approach has gained increasingly significant European and German recognition in recent years,” he added.

The migrant distribution quota has remained one issue where there is a difference of opinion, with Hungary clearly rejecting it and going against the position that the European Parliament recently voted to support.

“We trust that further talks can be held about this issue in the near future. We want to convince lawmakers that the mandatory distribution quota cannot be a solution for Europe in the long term,” Németh said. The power to decide about migration must be maintained at the level of member states. If consensus can be reached in this matter, it will represent a breakthrough for the future of Europe, he added.

Franz Rieger, head of the Bavarian committee, said he was satisfied with bilateral relations

and noted the regular talks between Orbán and Bavarian counterpart Horst Seehofer.

“We can see dynamic developments in economic relations between Germany and the Visegrád Group, which leave their mark on political ties. It is important for Bavaria that European member states should be developing in unison. French President (Emmanuel) Macron and European Commission President (Jean-Claude) Juncker have presented their proposals for the future, and they are based on the involvement of all member states. At the same time, the national cultural sovereignty of member states must be preserved,” he said.

The new German government has not been formed since the elections, so there is no official German position yet about the future of Europe.

“Bavaria’s interest lies in the unity of Europe,” he added.

Source: MTI