Moscow talks: Hungary and Russia prepare for further cooperation

Hungary and Russia are actively preparing a new wave of bilateral cooperation agreements spanning trade, science, and medicine, ahead of the next session of their Intergovernmental Commission of Economic Cooperation, which is scheduled to take place in Moscow later this year.

Gábor Nagy, head of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry’s Department for Russia and Central Asia, told Russian state news agency TASS that joint working groups from both countries are already finalising documents in several areas. “Work continues in various fields. Specialists are working out the details, which will be presented at the fall commission meeting,” Nagy noted. Although the exact date of the session has yet to be determined, preparations are reportedly well underway.

Ongoing engagement amid European isolation of Russia

This renewed momentum in bilateral relations comes despite Russia’s growing international isolation due to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Hungary has consistently maintained a unique position within the European Union, fostering closer ties with Moscow in the energy, education, and healthcare sectors. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government has repeatedly emphasised pragmatic cooperation with Russia, even as most of Hungary’s EU partners have imposed sanctions and cut diplomatic contact.