PM Orbán holds talks with speaker of Austria’s National Council Rosenkranz
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán held talks with Walter Rosenkranz, the president of Austria’s National Council, in Budapest on Tuesday, his communications department told MTI.
Rosenkranz is a member of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), which won last September’s general election.
At the talks, Orbán and Rosenkranz discussed bilateral matters as well as the impact of Ukraine’s planned accession to the European Union would have on Austria and Hungary, including the risks it posed for security, the economy and agriculture.
Read here for more news about relations between Austria and Hungary.
Latest:
- Austrian authorities baffled: Hungary failed to inform them about buried FMD-infected cattle near the border
- Austria deploys troops to the Hungarian border, Orbán cabinet talks about possible act of bioterrorism
’Excellent Hungary, Austria ties can continue smoothly’
The excellent ties Hungary and Austria have established can continue smoothly, László Kövér, the speaker of parliament, said after meeting the president of Austria’s National Council in Budapest on Tuesday.
Kövér pointed out that he and his Austrian counterpart now belonged again in the same political party group, as Walter Rosenkranz is a member of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), which won the general election last September. He also noted that Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party, of which he is a member, set up the Patriots for Europe party group in the European Parliament together with FPO.
Kövér highlighted “traditionally good relations” between the two countries which he said had been built not only on a historical but also on an economic foundation.
Kövér pointed out the economic aspect, noting that Austria is Hungary’s second largest capital investor and fourth largest trading partner. “In addition, more than 100,000 Hungarian jobholders working in Austria help strengthen the country’s economy,” he said.
As regards global affairs, the two countries are on the same footing or have a similar position on many issues in line with their national interests, the speaker said.
“This provides a basis for the two countries’ parliaments to continue to work closely not only on the level of speakers, but also on the level of specialised committees and friendship chapters,” he added.
Kövér said that he will again greet his Austrian counterpart at a May meeting of speakers of EU member states, at which Rosenkranz will deliver an opening address focusing on the choice between federalism and national sovereignty.
He said that though the meeting in Budapest had ended up being short, it marked “the beginning of a beautiful friendship”.
Rosenkranz also called the meeting short, adding, however, that “its quality is defined not by its duration, but by its content”.
He said that at the meeting, they had discussed the two countries’ joint efforts to promote the EU accession of countries in south-eastern Europe, which, he said, was in the interest of Europe, the EU, Austria, and Hungary as well.