Orbán calls Hungary-Russia ties ‘stable, dependable’
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán called Hungary’s ties with Russia “stable and dependable” after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday.
Putin welcomed Orbán at the Kremlin, where Orbán said: “This meeting with you has great significance for Hungarian policymaking, since we are important partners for each other.”
Hungary needs dependable partners, Orbán said. “I am glad that ties between our two countries have been steady and dependable for years,” he added.
Orbán said that the two countries have “succeeded in dealing with unfavourable impacts of the international environment” and reversed the tendency of a shrinking bilateral trade amidst the economic sanctions against Russia.
Orbán said the aim of his visit was to thank Putin “for his efforts in recent years through which decline was turned into progress” as well as to “open new opportunities for development in trade, investment, energy, farming, and culture”.
Putin said that Hungary is one of Russia’s key partners in Europe.
Bilateral ties are developing on an intergovernmental as well as regional level, he added. Trade between the two countries grew by 25 percent last year and in the first half of 2018, he said.
Mutual investments have reached 1 billion dollars, with further growth in sight, he said.
Featured image: MTI
Source: MTI
1 Comment
I believe Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban is showing great stature and foresight in engaging with Russia’s Mr.Putin for the mutual benefit of all nations of Europe in general ! Russia is a great nation, adjacent to Europe’s Eastern Border, and whether one likes that or not ! ? ‘ it sure ain’t going away soon, to put it into the vernacular !!’ the realism of true leadership is as in Hungary’s case here is, as to reach out even having suffered at the hands of the other to seek and forge a ‘new’ understanding, and the risk is accepted, criticism and the like, but there is so much to be gained in leading out for mutual benefit, for all ! An again importantly respect for individual sovereignty is the key issue.
John H.Morton