President lauds Hungary-Austria economic ties

Economic relations between Hungary and Austria have intensified dynamically over the past seven years, President János Áder said after talks with his Austrian counterpart in Vienna on Wednesday.

At a joint press conference with Alexander Van der Bellen, Áder noted that his first trip abroad as president was to Austria. Several aspects of the two countries’ relations, including their economic ties, have progressed dynamically since then, he said.

Austria is still one of Hungary’s major economic partners, Áder said, noting that it is the third largest foreign employer and investor in Hungary.

Bilateral trade turnover was just under 11 billion euros last year, he added.

Áder said he and Van der Bellen also discussed Hungary and Austria’s cooperation in fighting climate change. He said there are two forums scheduled for this year that will focus on the implementation of the Paris climate accord.

On another subject, the president said Hungary and Austria are divided over the use of nuclear energy. Whereas Austria opposes nuclear power, Hungary needs nuclear plants, Áder said, arguing that Hungary’s geographical characteristics differ from those of Austria. Áder pointed out to his colleague that both the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the UN’s scientific body on nuclear energy say that the goals of the Paris accords cannot be met without nuclear power.

Áder said he agreed with Van der Bellen that the most important question concerning nuclear energy is safety.

He said they had also discussed the question of EU enlargement and the situation of the Western Balkans. Áder said he and Van der Bellen were in agreement on the need to integrate the Western Balkan states into the bloc. “But it takes two to tango,” he said, adding that as regards enlargement, candidate countries must fulfil the EU’s requirements and the bloc must also be consistent, predictable and principled in its approach to the accession of the Western Balkan countries.