Levente Magyar, a state secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, has started business talks in Florida on strengthening economic ties between Hungary and the United States, building on the good ties with the incoming US administration.
Magyar said in a statement on Friday that the excellent ties between Hungary and the Trump administration could pave the way for new opportunities in the area of economic cooperation. On the basis of the talks, products and services could appear in Hungary that would benefit the whole economy, he added.
Among the people with whom Magyar met was the investor Tamás Péterffy.
Deputy FM Magyar. Photo: MTI
Official: Age of sovereignty has arrived
2025 will usher in “a new age of sovereignty”, Balázs Orbán, the Prime Minister’s political director said, addressing the Budapest Global Dialogue conference on Friday. He said 2024 marked the end of an old era of an obsolete neoliberalism which had neither worked in the EU nor the US. Participating in a roundtable at the the conference organised by the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs and the Observer Research Foundation, Orbán said the Western world was undergoing a shake-up and hopefully the biggest success of 2025 would be the end of the Russia-Ukraine war, “which has caused serious damage to the entire world”.
He said there was already “political momentum” to end the war thanks to new forces in the EU, the US, India and China. “We’re optimistic,” he said. “I think we can convince the warring parties to find a path to peace.” Commenting on the US elections, Orbán said the outcome was down to issues such as migration and law enforcement policy as well as the situation of the judiciary and “the stagnation of the economy”. He added that changes in America would positively affect the rest of the world, adding that a strong US, China and Europe, would have a stabilising effect.
Max Abrahms, a professor of political science at Northeastern University, said US foreign policy would discard liberal internationalism and become more transactional, adding that the US foreign policy would not be uniform but “differ from country to country and region to region”.
Austrian geopolitical strategist Velina Tchakarova said US-EU relations were likely to see a positive turn. “We have reached a crossroads”, she said, adding that the bloc would have to change its methods because Europe was now among the losers. The big question, she said, was how Europeans could solve security issues while meeting challenges related to industry and climate change.
Hungary and Türkiye form a bridge between East and West, according to a statement by the presidential Sándor Palace on Thursday in connection with the visit of President Tamás Sulyok to Ankara.
Sulyokwas received with military honours in Ankara by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. At their meeting, the presidents agreed that Hungary and Türkiye were linked by a common past, deep friendship, and a strategic alliance, confirmed by the frequency of high-level meetings.
Hungary is committed to further deepening cooperation based on mutual respect and its multifaceted partnership with Türkiye, the statement said, adding that common endeavours included energy, security policy, defence industry cooperation, as well as the further development of economic and cultural relations.
The statement noted the Hungarian-Turkish Cultural Season held this year, the motto of which was “A century of friendship and cooperation”, adding that its programmes provided an opportunity for further dialogue and further deepening ties between the two countries.
Photo: FB/Sulyok
Also, 2025 will be the Hungarian-Turkish Year of Science and Innovation, with joint research projects and the exchange of good innovation practices, as well as the mobility of higher education lecturers and students among its goals, the palace said.
Türkiye “a key and indispensable strategic partner of the European Union”
The Hungarian president made clear at the meeting that Hungary considers Türkiye “a key and indispensable strategic partner of the European Union” in the areas of energy security, trade, regional security, as well as in combating terrorism and illegal migration.
During the current EU presidency, Hungary highlighted the promotion of Türkiye’s accession process. Overcoming migration challenges requires the EU to support Turkiye properly and to an appropriate extent, it said.
Photo: FB/President Sulyok
Türkiye “is an indispensable player” for creating regional stability and preserving security and peace, the statement said, adding that stability of the Middle East was a common interest.
Hungary regards it as highly important that no extremist ideology or radical group takes control in the region, so attention must be paid to respecting the rights of religious communities and minorities, the palace said, adding that Hungary pays special attention to the region’s Christian communities and it provides humanitarian aid.
After the talks, the Turkish president hosted the Hungarian president and prime minister at a state dinner, and a gala concert of the Hungarian-Turkish Cultural Season was perfored in front of around 1,900 invited guests, the statement said.
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Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met US President-elect Donald Trump in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, on Monday. Elon Musk and Michael Waltz also attended the meeting, the PM’s press chief said.
FM Szijjártó accompanied PM Orbán
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and 4iG chief executive Gellért Jászai was also present, Bertalan Havasi said.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met on Friday evening members of the Patriots for Europe group in the European Parliament who are in Budapest for a meeting, the prime minister’s press chief said.
The prime ministertold the event that the party alliance had been established to make Europe strong again, Bertalan Havasi said. “We are on the right path to achieve our goal, currently ours is the third largest group in the EP and we have chances to become the strongest by the end of the current term,” Orbán said.
He added that no matter where one looks in the world, to the east or the west, sovereigntist powers were emerging at elections.
“Only the fortress of Brussels is left to be overtaken,”
he added. “We must fight plenty more for that goal. We must fight for our people, for our sovereign nations, and for independent Europe,” he said. “It is only us patriots who represent the true opposition to the Brussels elite, the new voice of Europe, which makes Brussels tremble,” he said.
Orbán, the leader of ruling Fidesz, on Friday met Jordan Bardella, the leader of the French National Rally (RN) party, the PM’s press chief said. Orbán and Bardella discussed the political situation “after three party families of the European Parliament, the Socialists, the Liberals and the European People’s Party had set up a united front,” Bertalan Havasi said.
Photo: FB/Orbán
Patriots for Europe, the party family of Fidesz and RN, will fight against the “Brussels pact”, the party leaders said. “We are the opposition of the pro-migration and pro-war Brussels, Patriots are representing the future, and the parties of the Brussels pact are of the past,” Orbán and Bardella said.
Opposition Mi Hazánk protests against Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s decision to invite Benjamin Netanyahu, “his friend”, to visit Hungary after the International Criminal Court’s issuance of an arrest warrant against the Israeli prime minister on war crime charges, the party said on Friday.
In a statement, the party said that Orbán had withheld the fact that the court had also issued an arrest warrant against the leaders of Hamas.
“Viktor Orbán would normally not be this tough with various other international tribunals when the matter concerns Hungary’s interests,” Mi Hazánk said.
“Despite all the show of strength, Hungary keeps paying compensation to criminals released from prison if the Strasbourg court so rules,” the party said.
PM Orbán and PM Netanyahu. Photo: facebook.com/deakdanielelemez
Here’s the reaction of Netanyahu
Orbán is inviting Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Hungary, the PM said in an interview to public radio on Friday. Referring to an arrest warrant against the Israeli prime minister issued by the International Criminal Court on Thursday, Orbán called the move “outrageously brazen and cynical”, amounting to “interference in an ongoing conflict in legal disguise” and motivated by politics.
Orbán said this was in itself wrong and would completely discredit the reputation of international law and could “add fuel to the fire”. He said he had “no other choice but to oppose” the ruling. Referring to the invitation, Orbán said he would guarantee that
the ICCruling would not be applied in Hungary, adding that “we will not follow its provisions”.
“We solely consider the quality and state of Israel-Hungary ties … Israel’s prime minister will be surrounded by suitable security to conduct substantive talks in Hungary,” he said.
Netanyahu on Friday afternoon thanked the Hungarian prime minister for the invitation, saying: “I thank Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for the warm support for me and the State of Israel”.
Photo: FB/Benjamin Netanyahu
“Against the shameful weakness of those who have lined up alongside the outrageous decision against the State of Israel’s right to defend itself, Hungary – like our friends in the US – has shown moral clarity and steadfastness on the side of justice and the truth,” he said.
Anti-Semitism, violence emerged in W European cities alongside migration, Orbán’s secretary says
Anti-Semitism, violence and the threat of terrorism has emerged in western European cities alongside migration, the “brutal and terrifying” consequences of pro-immigration policies, Balazs Hidveghi, the parliamentary state secretary of the prime minister’s cabinet office, said on Thursday.
“Jews and homosexuals” in Germany are told by the police to avoid Arab neighborhoods in Berlin “for their own safety”, while Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam were recently attacked “brutally”, he said, adding that order was restored only after several days.
The Brussels and left-wing pro-immigration policy “is ruining Europe irretrievably”, he said, adding in the video that “they want to install a puppet government in Budapest”.
He referred to “self-confessed Soros agents” who would “betray the Hungarian people and allow migrants in at any time”.
Hidveghi said the public can insist on Hungary’s right to opt out of the acceptance and distribution of migrants by responding to the National Consultation questionnaire. “Only this way can we preserve our country’s security,” he added.
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European Union interior ministers will vote on Dec 12 regarding a Hungarian proposal to allow Romania and Bulgaria to join the Schengen agreement, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said after talks with Romanian counterpart Marcel Ciolacu.
From 2025, the Schengen Zone will include Romania and Bulgaria
Orbántold a press conference that important talks had been held and were still under way in Budapest, with the interior ministers of Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania discussing the enlargement of the Schengen area to include Romania and Bulgaria.
European Union interior ministers will vote on Dec 12 regarding a Hungarian proposal to allow Romania and Bulgaria to join the Schengen agreement, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said after talks with Romanian counterpart Marcel Ciolacu.
Hunor Kelemen, the President of the Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ), wrote in a Facebook post that border control will end between Romania and Hungary from 1 January:
Orbán told a press conference that important talks had been held and were still under way in Budapest, with the interior ministers of Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania discussing the enlargement of the Schengen area to include Romania and Bulgaria.
Orbán noted that Hungary was currently fulfilling the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. “When we last held talks with the prime minister in Bucharest, we were in agreement that the Hungarian presidency must be definitely used to speed up the process of Romania’s Schengen accession,” he added.
Photo: MTI
Current situation unjust, says Orbán
Orbán said the current situation towards Romania was unjust as the country had made serious efforts to meet Schengen conditions in recent years and had done so for quite some time.
Orbán welcomed the fact that during Friday’s talks, the approach through illegal migration had been chosen. The interior ministers discussed in Budapest that illegal border crossings must be reduced significantly and the fight against illegal migration must be strengthened, he added.
Orbán said that the participants at the talks established that both Romania and Bulgaria had made “fantastic progress in this regard” and the Hungarians, the Austrians, the Romanians and the Bulgarians were in agreement that all obstacles were removed that had prevented Romania’s Schengen accession.
He added that it had been agreed at Friday’s talks that all four countries would work on enabling Romania to become a full member of Schengen, not only by air but also over land, from Jan 1.
The decision requires the assent of all interior ministers of the EU, and it will be made in Brussels on Dec 12, Orbán said. The Hungarian presidency will make a proposal on the previous day based on today’s meeting, he added.
Photo: MTI
Bilateral economic ties with Romania “fantastic”
Orbán said he expected Budapest” to be famed’ for hosting the talks “that removed the last obstacle” and paved the way for the formal decisions.
If all goes to plan, drivers will not be required to stop at the Hungary-Romania border, he said, adding that “it’ll be a great moment for us all”.
The prime minister said he had also discussed bilateral issues with Ciolacu. He called bilateral economic ties “fantastic”, with bilateral trade “continuously increasing both in volume and value.” The two parties also agreed that investment in the other country was crucial; they will further support that Romanian goods are sold on the Hungarian market and Hungary exports its products to Romania, Orbán said.
Economic cooperation and Romania’s Schengen entry are especially important for communities on either side of the border, Orbán said, adding that the situation for those people was “unfair”. “Local communities there will at last be in a position to build their ties as required by the natural order of life,” he added.
With Romania’s Schengen entry, several roads crossing the border, so far used at weekends only, will open, Orbán said.
Meanwhile, the prime minister thanked ethnic Hungarian party RMDSZ for its efforts towards Romania’s Schengen accession.
Illegal border crossings must be reduced significantly
Orbán noted that Hungary was currently fulfilling the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. “When we last held talks with the prime minister in Bucharest, we were in agreement that the Hungarian presidency must be definitely used to speed up the process of Romania’s Schengen accession,” he added.
Orbán said the current situation towards Romania was unjust as the country had made serious efforts to meet Schengen conditions in recent years and had done so for quite some time.
Orbán welcomed the fact that during Friday’s talks, the approach through illegal migration had been chosen. The interior ministers discussed in Budapest that illegal border crossings must be reduced significantly and the fight against illegal migration must be strengthened, he added.
The interior ministers in Budapest. Sándor Pintér in c. Photo: MTI
Orbán said that the participants at the talks established that both Romania and Bulgaria had made “fantastic progress in this regard” and the Hungarians, the Austrians, the Romanians and the Bulgarians were in agreement that all obstacles were removed that had prevented Romania’s Schengen accession.
He added that it had been agreed at Friday’s talks that all four countries would work on enabling Romania to become a full member of Schengen, not only by air but also over land, from Jan 1.
The decision requires the assent of all interior ministers of the EU, and it will be made in Brussels on Dec 12, Orbán said. The Hungarian presidency will make a proposal on the previous day based on today’s meeting, he added.
Last obstacle removed
Orbán said he expected Budapest” to be famed’ for hosting the talks “that removed the last obstacle” and paved the way for the formal decisions.
If all goes to plan, drivers will not be required to stop at the Hungary-Romania border, he said, adding that “it’ll be a great moment for us all”.
The prime minister said he had also discussed bilateral issues with Ciolacu. He called bilateral economic ties “fantastic”, with bilateral trade “continuously increasing both in volume and value.” The two parties also agreed that investment in the other country was crucial; they will further support that Romanian goods are sold on the Hungarian market and Hungary exports its products to Romania, Orbán said.
Economic cooperation and Romania’s Schengen entry are especially important for communities on either side of the border, Orbán said, adding that the situation for those people was “unfair”. “Local communities there will at last be in a position to build their ties as required by the natural order of life,” he added.
With Romania’s Schengen entry, several roads crossing the border, so far used at weekends only, will open, Orbán said.
Meanwhile, the prime minister thanked ethnic Hungarian party RMDSZ for its efforts towards Romania’s Schengen accession.
Interior minister Pintér: Schengen accession of Bulgaria, Romania ‘one step closer’
The full Schengen membership of Bulgaria and Romania is “another step closer”, Sándor Pintér, the interior minister, told a press conference of interior ministers on Friday.
He told the joint press conference with Austrian counterpart Gerhard Karner, Bulgarian counterpart Atanas Ilkov, Romanian counterpart Catalin Predoiu and Ylva Johansson, the European commissioner for home affairs, that in order to complete the process another joint package needs to be put together to ensure and enhance the security of the European Union and the two candidate countries. The package will be finalised on Dec 11 and 12, he added.
Part of the decision will involve jointly setting up a contingent on the Turkish-Bulgarian border with the involvement of at least 100 border police, he said.
Pintér said that Hungary will ensure that in addition to the full appointment of 100 border police, they will be supplied with sufficient equipment to effectively protect the Bulgaria-Turkyie border.
“It is clear that there is an opportunity now to conclude this matter by Dec 31, this year,” Pintér said.
Karner called Friday’s border protection package “a very important step”, and praised Romania’s and Bulgaria’s efforts over the last two years to bolster border protection. He said that ever since the Netherlands and Austria vetoed their Schengen membership in 2022, the number of illegal migrants apprehended on their eastern borders has dropped from 70,000 to 3,000. He added that under Friday’s agreement, Austria will uphold its border controls.
Ilkov said his country had allocated significant amounts of funding towards strengthening its border with Turkiye which has led to a significant drop in the number of illegal border crossings.
Predoiu said Romania had reached its goal with today’s Budapest agreement, and his country’s Schengen membership would boost the bloc’s security. Romania, too, had devoted significant personnel and financial resources towards meeting the Schengen criteria, he added.
The Romanian and Bulgarian ministers thanked Hungary and Pintér for supporting their Schengen accession process.
Johansson said Romania and Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen area in January was a realistic goal given the steps they had taken in meeting the accession criteria. The commissioner congratulated Pintér, saying that the success of today’s meeting was owed in great part to his personal commitment.
UPDATE: Full Schengen membership of Bulgaria, Romania fulfils a priority of presidency
Bulgaria and Romania’s full membership in the Schengen Area would fulfil a priority of the Hungarian presidency of the European Union, the minister for EU affairs said on Facebook late on Friday. At a “meeting of historic significance” in Budapest on Friday, the interior ministers of Austria, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria reviewed the results of their joint fight against illegal migration, and “concluded that there is no obstacle to the full Schengen membership of Romania and Bulgaria,” Janos Boka said in a video on Facebook. The official decision may follow at a meeting of EU interior ministers on December 12, Boka said, “and we are all looking forward to the full Schengen membership of Bulgaria and Romania from January 1, 2025.”
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Serbia is the most important country from the point of view of Hungary’s security, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said after a meeting of the Hungarian-Serbian strategic cooperation council, listing further joint investment projects in crude oil and gas transit, transmission lines, gas trading and storage and a border crossing upgrade.
Orbántold a joint press conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic that thanks to developments in recent years more and more of Hungary’s energy supplies have come through Serbia.
“The Russia-Ukraine war closed off the other direction, so Serbia has become a country that provides first-rate security and a guarantee. There is no other country more important to Hungary … and [its] security than Serbia,” Orbán said.
He noted that existing investment projects were reviewed at the meeting and new ones have been decided on in crude oil shipping, gas transport, transmission line construction, natural gas trading and storage. He said a joint electricity exchange will be operating from the end of this year.
He confirmed that the Budapest-Belgrade railway project will be completed by 2026, and it was agreed that the Röszke-Horgos border crossing will be made into Europe’s “most modern, fastest and most civilised” border crossing, thanks to a large joint investment project.
PM Orbán talks Serbia as pro-peace country
Hungary, like Serbia, “is on the side of peace”, and that commitment has strengthened Serbian-Hungarian friendship, Orbán said, adding that Hungary had taken on the burden of conflicts in order to avoid “being dragged into the Russia-Ukraine war”. “We stayed away from that: it is not our war; we are on the side of peace and will remain there,” he said.
During its presidency of the European Council, Hungary had been able to “provide material help” to Serbia by speeding up its EU integration, Orbán said. “Europe must grasp that it is not Serbia that needs Europe, it’s the EU that needs Serbia.”
The EU is mired in problems, and growth, new momentum, dynamism and energy “can only come from new members”, he said. “Serbia is the best candidate for this, and Hungary will continue to do everything in its power to ensure that it becomes an EU member as soon as possible.”
“The US elections and the appearance of a party group of patriots and sovereigntists in Europe has brought about a new reality,” Orbán said. “The future belongs to sovereign, independent nations striving for success, and everyone in Europe must adapt their fate and politics to that,” he said.
Photo: FB/Orbán
Hungarians and Serbians have responded to that “new reality” by deepening cooperation, Orbán added.
Further, “the two countries will have to cooperate in security more closely as the issue is gaining importance in the new reality,” he said. “With Europe suffering from high electricity prices, we need better cooperation on electricity, and if blocs threaten to form in Europe, or Europe responds to the new situation with protectionism, we must strengthen connectivity and we must connect with each other all the more,” Orbán said.
Vucic was engine
He thanked Vucic for being the “engine” of high-level Hungarian-Serbian relations in the past decade. Serbia and Hungary “are two ambitious nations that refuse to resign to the fate the 20th century dealt them, and want to be successful, large and rich.”
Serbia’s success also raises Hungary’s value, he said, and “we have an interest in Serbians being as successful, satisfied, balanced and prosperous as Hungarians in the coming seven years.”
The Hungarian-Serbian strategic cooperation council on Thursday met for the second time, and representatives of the two countries signed seven agreements after the meeting, on legal aid in civil litigation, cultural cooperation, on a letter of intent on cooperation between their ministries of innovation, on renewing Hungary’s plan to provide expertise on EU integration, and on cooperation between the foreign ministries.
Orbán and Vucic also signed a common declaration regarding the meeting.
Increasingly tight cooperation with Serbia in Hungary’s strategic interest, says foreign minister
Tightening cooperation with Serbia is in Hungary’s basic strategic interest because both sides contribute to the improvement of each other’s physical, energy and economic security, the minister of foreign affairs and trade said on Thursday.
“The closer cooperation gets, the faster our economy develops and the more secure we and energy supplies are,” Péter Szijjártó said after a meeting of the Hungarian-Serbian high-level strategic council.
He said energy ties would strengthen when a new crude oil pipeline between the refinery in Szazhalombatta and the Serbian network comes on line. “This will enable Hungary to be not only a buyer of crude but also a transit country, while opening up further sources of crude for Serbia,” he said.
“On the Hungarian side, the feasibility and environmental impact studies connected to the investment will be prepared by professionals and the selected companies by December, and from then on the implementation of the large investment project will take three years,” he said.
Szijjártó also said that great progress would be made in connecting electricity networks thanks to a new transmission line that would double total transmission capacity by 2028.
160 km/h high-speed railway connection
He welcomed the start of operations of a Hungary-Serbia-Slovenia electricity exchange at the end of this year, making supplies more secure in the region while increasing price competition.
Commenting on the construction of the Budapest-Belgrade railway line, Szijjártó confirmed that by 2026 it would be possible to travel between the two capitals at a speed of 160km per hour.
“For freight transport, the line will also be the fastest route from Greek ports to western European consumers, for instance in the case of Chinese imports to Europe,” he said.
The minister also said that another important investment project planned under the arrangements of Chinese-Serbian-Hungarian cooperation was building the largest, most modern and civilised border crossing at Roszke, where long queues are still frequent today.
Szijjártó said bilateral trade was continually expanding, its value having grown 4.5-fold in the past ten years, to 5 billion euros. “So it is especially important to end the long wait at the border which sometimes takes days,” he added.
“Related financial and technology talks will be started in China in two weeks. Trilateral Hungarian-Chinese-Serbian cooperation has been successful in terms of the railway investment. It is now time that we apply that to road crossings,” he added.
A competitiveness pact dubbed the Budapest Declaration submitted by the Hungarian presidency of the European Union was approved at the informal meeting of EU heads of state and government in Budapest on Friday, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told a press conference after the meeting. He added that it was necessary to “make Europe great again”.
Orbán condemned “anti-Semitic attacks” in Amsterdam
At a joint press conference with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council Charles Michel, Orbán said that on behalf of Hungary he condemned the “anti-Semitic attacks” that had taken place in Amsterdam on Thursday.
The attack was unacceptable also to Hungarians, he said. Orbán added that Budapest, where Europe’s largest synagogue was only “a stone’s throw away” from the city’s largest Catholic cathedral, was a meeting place of different cultures, East and West, North and South, which made the city “uniquely tolerant”. “That’s why we live together in peace and security here in Budapest, and I wish Amsterdam’s residents to succeed with the same,” he added.
Photo: MTI
“We will fight our battles in Brussels”
Commenting on the EU summit, Orbán said it was common knowledge that there are serious political conflicts between the EC and Hungary and he had also had disputes with von der Leyen. At the same time, he said the EC president was this time a guest in Budapest and she deserved a polite welcome and respect, so there had been no disputes at all at the meeting.
“We will fight our battles in Brussels,” he said.
Informal meeting approves key document
Orbán said there was full consensus about the main topic of the summit, which was competitiveness, and a competiveness pact had been approved in line with the Hungarian presidency’s goal. He referred to the document as the “Budapest declaration” and thanked all the related work of his colleagues, the president of the commission, the president of the European Council, and Mario Draghi who had prepared a report on competitiveness.
The document places a focus on competitiveness in the next five years, and states that immediate action is needed, he said.
The growth of the European Union was slower in the past two decades than the growth of China or the US, and the EU’s productivity is growing slower than its competitors’, with the EU’s share in world trade decreasing. EU companies pay three times higher price for electricity and four times higher price for natural gas than their US competitors, he added.
Simplification revolution needed
Outlining a number of points of the Budapest Declaration on competitiveness, Orbán said a “simplification revolution” would be implemented and companies’ reporting obligations would be “drastically reduced” by the end of the first half of 2025. A capital market union will be implemented in full, a European defence industry base will be established, urgent measures will be taken to bring down energy prices and a “genuine” industrial policy will take shape in the coming period, he added.
Orbán said everybody at the summit had agreed that R+D spending should be raised to 3 percent of GDP by 2030.
He said the capital market union would be fully implemented.
Orbán said Europeans’ savings totalled more than Americans’ but Europeans keep their savings in banks and banks are “genetically” unsuitable for financing various high-risk high-tech investments.
Bank deposits should be transferred to capital funds, European citizens should be convinced to do this in order to make the money more easily available for innovative economic solutions, he said. Steps will be taken to achieve this, the prime minister added.
European defence industrial base will be established
Orbán said it had been decided that a European defence industrial base would be established.
He said that it had been agreed that an assessment or so-called competitiveness test would be prepared for all new legislative proposals, in order to see their impact of new legal regulations on competitiveness.
He added that the EC president and the members of the Council were in agreement that competitiveness issues would be regularly addressed at the meetings of the European Council.
The prime minister said teh Budapest meeting gave reason for optimism. “Nobody wants to manage a decline, rather we all want to make Europe great again,” he added. Orbán said that if the Americans had decided to make America great again, the only possible European response was to “make Europe great again”.
In response to a question concerning why competitiveness had not been improved and bureaucracy reduced already despite these being among the Lisbon Treaty’s goals, Ursula von der Leyen said that huge transformation had taken place in competitiveness, for instance in research and development. The performance of the various European sectors has been reviewed at the talks, identifying the strengths and weaknesses, she added.
She said red tape and reporting obligations would be cut and a related joint proposal would be submitted to parliament and the council.
Economic questions
Commenting on planned talks with the US president-elect on trade, she said relations would be continually maintained and consultations are planned on shared interests. She said one such area was the purchase of liquefied natural gas, adding that a large amount of it was still being purchased from Russia, and it should be replaced by purchases from the US. This could also help reduce energy prices, Von der Leyen said and added that consultations should be started about this, as well as on the trade balance.
Answering a question, President of the European Council Charles Michel said that energy in the EU was a national competence but the member states should still act together to reduce prices. It must be taken into consideration that energy is a means of sovereignty and also a strategic issue, he said.
The same applies to financial markets, he said, adding that they also served as a means for directing investments towards European innovation. He highlighted the need for the capacities to be freed in the interest of economic development and added that Orbán had demonstrated with examples that the EU was falling behind its competitors.
Commenting on competitiveness, Michel said it was necessary to see that the situation called for urgent action. In response to a question on new financial instruments, he said solidarity should not be forgotten. Mutual trust depends not only on financial support and a willingness for making internal reforms was also important, he added.
Von der Leyen said it was obvious that more private investment and more state investment was needed. The priorities must be defined first, she added. She said there were two solutions for financing at a European level: with new own resources or by making payments to the common budget. Both required capital increase, she added.
The summit was excellent
Commenting on the newly approved pact, the Hungarian prime minister said it had been easy to reach an agreement on competitiveness because it was a pragmatic matter and not a matter of ideology. In response to a question, he said the goals defined in Lisbon were not realistic anymore because of the great changes that have taken place since. He said that fulfilling goals was a management issue, and if Europe had good leaders then they could be achieved.
Orbán said that prior to the summit, much could be heard about Hungary’s isolation and a dislike for the country, a failure of the summit and that European leaders would refuse to attend. Yet, the summit had been excellent, with good cooperation, he added. The competitiveness pact has been approved whereas earlier everyone said this would be impossible, he said. They trust each other, and being good leaders, they will be able to achieve the competitiveness goals presented, he added.
Commenting on future relations with the US, he said he expected some tough negotiations. Donald Trump will surely have some ideas on how trade should develop “obviously along US interests”, he said. Europe will have to stand up for itself, engage in talks and reach a deal in the end, he added.
In response to another question, Orbán said there were two more months left of the Hungarian EU presidency, “this has been a good gathering with nice results”, but he still held some surprises up his sleeve.
Financial support for Ukraine remains
Commenting on financial support for Ukraine, Ursula von der Leyen said that in addition to a 50 billion euro loan package from the G7 would also be available for Ukraine until 2026. She said that Russia posed a threat to the security of not only Europe but the whole world. Russia is increasingly lining up with Iran and North Korea and together with China they “feed and fuel this war”, she added. Russia uses Chinese and Iranian technology in the battlefield which shows that the security of the Pacific region and Europe are interconnected, she said.
Michel added that steps must be taken in the interest of just peace but “nothing should be decided about Ukraine without Ukraine”. If Europe sends a sign of weakness to the Kremlin, it will also send a message to other regimes that they could violate international law and Europe would become vulnerable, he added.
Orbán said he had first presented his position about the war in March 2022 and it has not changed ever since. “The Hungarian position is clearly pro-peace and pro-Hungarian,” he added. He also said that since the outbreak of the war,
Hungary had provided the largest humanitarian aid to Ukrainians, receiving several hundred thousand refugees, but it refused to get involved in the military conflict.
Different opinion not isolation
He said that when someone holds a different opinion from others, it does not mean isolation, only a dispute. That’s how democracy was born, he said, adding that “functioning in headwind from a political point of view is part of my DNA,” he said. Orbán added that Hungary had been alone in 2015 when it started building a fence and holding the position that migration must be stopped at the border. “We were alone, but we did not get isolated, we were part of the debate,” he said.
In response to an additional question about the war, Orbán said Ukraine was a sovereign country and the Ukrainians must decide if they continue the fight.
“I never try to dictate to the Ukrainians, it is their country, their future, and their life … but I am ready to help them any time,” he said. The prime minister added that during visits to Kyiv and Moscow it became clear to him that neither of the warring sides was ready for ceasefire and they were both convinced that time was on their side. He said that he had tried to create an international pro-peace environment to allow that the warring parties could sooner or later sign a ceasefire agreement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is in Budapest for the European Political Community summit, on Thursday paid a visit to the Hungarian-Ukrainian bilingual primary and secondary school in Csepel, in southern Budapest, accompanied by foreign ministry state secretary Levente Magyar.
Orbán and Zelensky agreed to set up Ukrainian schools in Hungary
Magyar told MTI after the visit that students had given a warm welcome to the Ukrainian president.
The school launched classes in September after Prime Minister Viktor Orbánand Zelenskyagreed during the summer on Hungary providing education to Ukrainian children in their mother tongue.
Zelensky-Orbán summit in Kyiv this summer. Source: FB/Orbán
Magyar said Ukrainian children staying in Hungary in the several thousands wanted to maintain relations with their culture and mother tongue, and the Budapest school offered just such an opportunity.
He added that Hungary was ready to open additional schools according to demand.
Photo: FB/Zelensky
Photo: FB/Zelensky
Photo: FB/Zelensky
Photo: FB/Zelensky
President Zelensky: Ceasefire not a solution
A ceasefire currently would not offer a solution in the Russian-Ukraine war as it would not guarantee the restoration of Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence, President Volodymyr Zelensky said after the European Political Community summit in Budapest on Thursday.
Zelensky told a press conference that nobody knew what would follow a ceasefire, which would not automatically spell the end of the war.
“I respect the opinion of those European leaders who urge the quickest possible ceasefire, but current conditions do not allow for it.
We will have to assess with US president-elect Trump how he imagines ending the war quickly….” Zelensky added. In response to a question, Zelensky said the 300 billion dollars-worth of Russian assets frozen under the arrangements of the sanctions against Russia could be used to arm Ukraine and rebuild its industry. “Russian aggression so far has caused 800 billion dollars-worth of destruction,” he added.
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PM Viktor Orbán was ready to greet him, but Romanian President Klaus Iohannis decided to wait for 20 seconds, showing his back to the Hungarian prime minister. PM Orbán did not understand the rudeness but waited for the President patiently with a confused grin.
The outgoing Romanian President Klaus Iohannisacted quite strangely when he arrived in Budapest for the EPC summit on Thursday morning. PM Viktor Orbán would have greeted him just like all other country leaders, but Iohannis did something unexpected.
After getting out of his car, he did not establish eye contact with PM Orbán and did not walk to him. Instead, he showed his back to the Hungarian prime minister for 20 seconds, standing behind his car and seemingly rearranging his clothes.
PM Orbán grinned but remained patient. PrtScr/X Video/ SzabadonMagyarul/X
News emerged that the Hungarian police made Iohannis wait and circulate the Puskás Aréna, the venue of the summit, for 15 minutes, so the Romanian President became angry. The Romanian Antena3 news channel wrotethat the driver missed the correct stadium entrance. That is why he had to do another round for 15 minutes. Iohannis is well-known for his impatient nature. In 2015, when he first arrived in Paris, he simply threw his coat on the car when nobody took it from him immediately. Even the Romanian media was startled by his deed and called it a controversial, even unfriendly gesture.
Shaking hands a bit later. They still do not seem too happy. Photo: MTI
Later, the Hungarian police said such allegations were only fake news. According to hvg.hu, the police followed the protocol, and nobody missed the stadium entrance.
Congratulating Trump, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis wrote on X: “Romania is a strong and committed Strategic Ally of the US. Through our joint efforts, we will bring peace and prosperity for both our countries and beyond, defending our common interests”, Anadolu news agency wrote.
Romania reiterates support for Moldova amid election, referendum
European leaders reiterated their support Thursday for Moldova as that country concluded a presidential election and referendum that saw accusations of external influence, particularly by President Maia Sandu.
A statement by the Moldovan presidency said Sandu held talks with several of her EU counterparts on the sidelines of the fifth European Political Community summit in the Hungarian capital of Budapest.
“We, the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, the United Kingdom, together with the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission, reiterate our firm support for the Republic of Moldova following the meeting with President Maia Sandu,” it said.
It said they congratulate Moldovans for their “commitment to democracy, freedom and the rule of law,” which they said was seen in the presidential election that ended with Sandu securing a second term following a runoff earlier this month.
The statement indicated that European leaders welcomed the result of the referendum, which was held simultaneously Oct. 20, which enshrined Moldova’s EU accession aspirations in the country’s Constitution.
Moscow challenges the outcome
“We stand in solidarity with the Republic of Moldova in its quest for peace, prosperity and stability and reaffirm its rightful place in a free and democratic Europe,” it said, indicating that it happened despite “unprecedented attacks and foreign interference.”
“We strongly condemn documented attempts to influence election results through information manipulation, corruption and vote-buying schemes,” it said, adding that they reaffirm their determination to support Moldova in defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Sandu won more than 55% of the vote in a presidential runoff Nov. 3, securing a second term as incumbent president. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov challenged Sandu to provide evidence of the alleged interference.
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Speaker of Parliament László Kövér met Wang Huning, the chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing on Wednesday, the parliament’s press chief said.
Kövér and Wang discussed bilateral ties as well as international affairs, Zoltán Szilágyi said.
Kövér said the two countries had similar views of the “present and future of the world, and our relations are characterised by mutual respect and by not interfering with each other’s affairs.”
Hungary is striving to build a pragmatic relationship with the People’s Republic of China, and “does not wish to mix ideology with economic cooperation.” It is working to strengthen connectivity in the world, and “we picture our country as a meeting point of eastern and western capital in the future”, he said. “We do not support policies raising the spectre of an economic war and restricting cooperation between the EU and China.”
Photo: MTI
Hungary will remain a home for Chinese investments
“We aim to continue to offer a home for Chinese investments in Hungary, to further strengthen trade, and to increase Hungarian exports into China,” Kövér said.
Challenges such as climate change, the effect of pollution and mass illegal migration, which are hitting both countries “in a volatile and dangerous international situation”, can only be solved through joint effort, he said.
Wang said ties between the two countries had never been stronger, “and China greatly appreciates Hungary’s efforts to solve international conflicts too.” He praised the “multilayered cultural ties” between Hungary and China, adding that Hungary was home to 5 Confucius Institutes and a bilingual Hungarian-Chinese elementary and secondary school.
Hungary’s parliamentary delegation attended a gala marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the countries at the Chinese National Opera House, organised by Hungary’s embassy to Beijing.
Kövér: dynamic development in Hungarian-Chinese ties
Speaker of Parliament László Kövér left Beijing and paid a visit to Chongqing, parliament’s press office reported on Friday.
During his stay, Kövér met leaders of the 30-million city and visited the Hungarian-Chinese Technology Transfer Center, one of Hungary and China’s key Belt and Road projects. At the center, Kover was briefed on the Hungarian-Chinese Food Science Research Centre, co-founded by Hungary’s University of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Southwest University.The Hungarian delegation was also presented the plans for a research laboratory implemented in cooperation between Sanxia Hospital of Chongqing University and Nobel Prize winning physicist Ferenc Krausz, aimed at facilitiating application of the latest physical research in medicine. Kövér said cooperation with Chongqing was “a tangible example of the dynamic development in Hungarian-Chinese ties in the past ten years”, adding that the two countries were partners “despite distance, cultural differences, different political structures and different magnitudes”. He also added that Hungary could provide China with the advantages of innovation, technology, and shared experience. Later in the day, Kövér laid a wreath at a memorial to 19th century Hungarian poet Sandor Petofi and his wife in Chongqing’s Elin Park.
The Hungarian-Chinese Investor Roundtable (MKBKA) held its inaugural meeting at the end of October, the body told MTI on Thursday. The MKBKA is a body of independent experts established to support the achievement of goals in the Belt and Road Initiative intergovernmental strategic cooperation agreement through recommendations and consultation. The roundtable will also contribute to the preparation and implementation of bilateral projects.
The MKBKA aims to enhance Hungary and China’s broad strategic partnership and advance cooperation in the areas of economy, trade, agriculture, investments, transportation, education, science, technology, healthcare, sport, culture and tourism. Members of the MKBKA include the Budapest Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BKIK), the Hungarian Association of Industrial Parks, the China Trade Information Center and the Eurasia Centre of Neumann Janos University.
The members elected Tamás Janzsó, the head of the Hungarian Association of Industrial Parks, to lead the roundtable. Members also decided to open an office in China, set up a portal for preparing projects and create databases of investment locations and suppliers. A Eurasia Club will be established for networking.
Brussels must rethink pro-war strategy in wake of Trump victory, says Fidesz
Brussels must rethink its pro-war strategy in the wake of the victory of Donald Trump at the US presidential election, András László, an MEP of ruling Fidesz said on Wednesday.
László said “Trump’s victory came as a shock” for Brussels, adding that the EU had “expected an extended period of support for Ukraine, with US help, but if Trump keeps his promise and tries to quickly end the war in Ukraine, it means that the pro-war strategy must be re-thought in Brussels.”
He added that “in that case practically everything will have to be handled from the EU budget and defence industry, which will create an entirely new situation”.
Meanwhile, László said that Trump had also urged NATO member states to spend 2 percent of their GDP on defence spending, in line with NATO directives, during his first term. Trump warned the member states not to rely on the alliance “just because its article 5 ensures protection from the US in the case of an attack,” László added.
Trump had expected the member states already at that time to shoulder their share in NATO activities, he said.
László added that Hungary had announced large military and defence investments years ago in order to carry out the modernisation of the army which is still under way.
Featured image: László Kövér in the Hungarian Parliament
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A new European strategy will be needed in connection with Ukraine, the Hungarian prime minister said in his address at the summit of the Organisation of Turkic States held in Bishkek on Wednesday morning, after a Republican victory in the US presidential election.
The Republican victory will “put the question on the table for us European leaders” whether Europe was alone capable to continue providing military and financial support to Ukraine.
“I have serious doubts in that regard, this is why a new European strategy will be needed,” Orbánsaid, adding that the upcoming summit of European leaders in Budapest on Thursday could serve as a platform for taking the first steps.
PM Orbán’s arrival. Photo: FB/Orbán
The summit will bring together 47 heads of state and government in the biggest-ever diplomatic event in Hungary’s history, the prime minister said.
The most difficult question on the agenda will be the future of the 50 billion euro EU-US loan package earmarked for Ukraine under an earlier decision by the G7, he said.
Photo: FB/Orbán
Massive pro-war majority in the EU
Concerning the economy, Orbán said that Hungary’s trade turnover with Turkic countries had exceeded 5 billion dollars for the first time last year, adding that in 2023 over 5,000 students from those countries had applied for scholarships at Hungarian universities.
The prime minister said Hungary had started implementing its commitment of contributing 100 million dollars to the Turkic Investment Fund, and said “we hope that we will welcome investments by many Turkic companies and we will contribute to your economic growth in an increasingly large share.”
Referring to the latest summit of the organisation, Orbán noted the decision made on setting up a draught prevention institute at OTS’s European centre in Budapest to find solutions to environmental challenges. He said the new institute had already launched its first major programme aimed at establishing a Hungarian, Kyrgyz and Uzbek university cooperation in the area of the Fergana Valley’s forestation.
Concerning Europe and the debate about the war in Ukraine, Orbán said “there continues to be a massive pro-war majority in the European Union” despite military experts seeing a defeat of the European strategy on the battlefield. Hungary took over the EU presidency in July “and I launched a peace mission and I am grateful to Mr President Erdogan for supporting my efforts.” As a result of those efforts “discussion has started on ways to replace the war strategy with a peace strategy,” he added.
Orbán noted that the new European Commission was set to be formed on December 1, but said “I think we cannot expect meaningful change in Brussels’ approach towards the Turkic world … we need to prepare for a continued, distanced position.” He said, however, that he advocated a pro-active policy concerning the EU and “delegate all important issues to Brussels”. The Hungarian government will promote those issues at European political and economic forums and will “support all initiatives aimed at strengthening cooperation between the Turkic world and Europe,” he said.
Pointing to the EU’s declining competitiveness, Orbán said the Hungarian EU presidency had prepared a competitiveness pact, adding that European leaders would discuss and possibly adopt the draft in Budapest on Thursday. The economic measures proposed in the draft could give a massive boost to the European economy, he said, adding that “I hope we will succeed”.
Concluding his address, Orbán said members of the audience were welcome to attend OTS’s next informal meeting set for Budapest in the first half of next year.
Orbán meets Uzbek president
Orbán met Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the president of Uzbekistan, for talks ahead of a summit of the Organisation of Turkic States in Bishkek, his press chief told MTI on Wednesday.At their talks, the two leaders highlighted a “spectacular development” of bilateral relations in recent years, and noted the two countries’ signing a strategic partnership agreement in 2021, Bertalan Havasi said. Energy cooperation now covers a number of areas and Uzbekistan seeks to join the Green Energy Corridor project, a scheme crucial for Hungary’s energy security, Havasi added. The talks also touched upon cooperation in water management, transport, and education, as well as topical international issues.
Orbán receives Turkic States Organisation’s highest award
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has received this year’s Supreme Order of Turkic World at a summit of the Organisation of Turkic States in Bishkek, his press chief told MTI on Wednesday.
The honour was presented to Orbán by Sadyr Zhaparov, the president of Kyrgyzstan, Bertalan Havasi said. It is awarded to outstanding leaders for their significant contribution to strengthening unity and cooperation among Turkic states and for nurturing their common cultural heritage. The Hungarian prime minister was given the honour “in recognition of his outstanding efforts towards strengthening ties between Hungary and the Turkic states and enhancing cooperation within the Turkic world”. Accepting the honour, Orbán called it an important goal to maintain “a live connection” between Hungary and the Turkic world.Photo: FB/Orbán
Informal Organisation of Turkic States summit to be held in Budapest
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó addressed a meeting of the council of foreign ministers of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) in Bishkek on Wednesday. Szijjártó said annual trade between Hungary and OTS member states had climbed over EUR 5bn, rising 20pc in a year and by 350pc over 15 years.
He noted that Hungary had started building ties with OTS members close to 15 years earlier and had gained observer status in the OTS six years ago.
Szijjártó said energy cooperation with OTS members had boosted Hungary’s energy security, pointing to gas deliveries from Turkiye and Azerbaijan, as well as the start of production at a Kazakh gas field by Hungarian oil and gas company MOL.
Hungary has started the transfer of USD 100m pledged for the Turkic Investment Fund, while the OTS Drought Prevention Institute in Budapest has launched its first project, he added. He said more than 5,000 students from OTS members had applied for the 1,040 scholarships Hungary offers each year to enroll at local universities.
Hungary will host an informal OTS summit in Budapest next year,
he added.
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Hungary highly values Kyrgyzstan for its endeavours to promote global security, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a statement after meeting the Kyrgyz president on Tuesday.
Orbán praised Kyrgyzstan’s dependable action against terrorist organisations and its pro-peace position. The prime minister said Hungary generally thrived in times of peace and was glad that Kyrgyzstan was “also on the side of peace.”
He said that Hungary, as an EU member, was helping Kyrgyzstan in European political forums to ensure the broadest possible cooperation with the bloc. He noted that bilateral relations have been raised to the level of a strategic partnership. Accordingly, two-way trade is set to double this year, he added.
At their last meeting, the Kyrgyz president said bilateral cooperation should focus on hydropower and agriculture, Orbán said, noting that a Hungarian-Kyrgyz investment fund has been set up to finance the building of a hydroelectric power plant and farm initiatives. Hungarian agricultural and food companies are now present in the country “with good results”, he said.
Orbán visits Kyrgyzstan. Photo: MTI
Meanwhile, Orbán assured the Kyrgyz president that Hungary would support the Kyrgyz initiative to protect mountain culture and way of life at the upcoming Coptic summit in Baku.
Also, 200 Kyrgyz students are studying with a scholarship in Hungary, and Hungary was ready to receive even more students in light of the strong demand.
Orbán said he had expressed his gratitude that Hungarian can now be studied in Kyrgyzstan.
Orbán noted that Hungary joined the Turkic Council in Kyrgyzstan six years ago and has since become a political member of that community. In 2025, an informal Turkish Council meeting will be held in Budapest.
Orbán said Hungarians were the only people from the East that migrated to the West and planted roots here, but they had not forgotten their origins, and always treated the Turkic peoples, including the Kyrgyz, with “friendly and fraternal feelings”.
Orbán visits Kyrgyzstan. Photo: MTI
During his official visit, Orbán and high-level Kyrgyz officials are scheduled to sign several agreements to advance bilateral cooperation, the PM’s press chief said earlier.
Orbán will also participate in a meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Organisation of Turkic States held in Biskek on Wednesday.
Hungary, Kyrgyzstan to further develop mutually beneficial cooperation
Hungary and Kyrgyzstan plan to further develop mutually beneficial cooperation, which has been raised to the level of confirmed strategic partnership, the foreign minister said in Bishkek on Tuesday.
The ministry cited Péter Szijjártó saying that the relevant agreement was signed earlier in the day. Agreements on air transport, customs and justice affairs, as well as higher education scholarships were also signed, he added.
“All this goes to show that Hungary-Kyrgyz cooperation covers an especially broad area,” he said.
Szijjártó said that economic cooperation was a priority and he welcomed record-high bilateral trade last year, which has doubled this year.
“This clearly shows that both Hungarian and Kyrgyz economic players greatly profit from this cooperation,” he said.
He added that work was under way to further develop cooperation in agriculture and food production. Following successful cooperation in the area of maize seeds, he said, chances are high that honey and lamb from Kyrgyzstan will reach European Union markets through Hungarian trading companies.
“We are setting up a Hungarian seed plant here, and a hydropower plant is being built under the arrangements of cooperation between Hungarian and Kyrgyz companies,” he said.
Szijjártó also said that Hungary is popular among Kyrgyz university students, and 200 of them will get a chance to study at Hungarian universities with a scholarship. More than 600 applications have been submitted for these places, mostly in medical and engineering faculties, he said.
“We will develop cooperation between the two countries in the upcoming period, especially in areas linked to environmental protection and boosting the green economy,” he said.
“We are in agreement that all countries must set their respective economies on the path of growth in a responsible way, which means competitiveness and environmental protection must go hand in hand,” he added.
He praised Kyrgyzstan’s resolute action taken against terrorist organisations, and added that the more successful the fight against terrorism was in Central Asia, the fewer migratory waves could be expected in Europe.
“Accordingly, we support the quickest possible ratification of a cooperation pact between Kyrgyzstan and the EU,” he said.
Orbán to attend OTS summit, have bilateral talks in Bishkek next week
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is paying an official visit to Kyrgyzstan on Nov 5, Bertalan Havasi, the PM’s press chief, told MTI on Friday, confirming local press reports.
The prime minister’s visit will include high-level talks concerning matters related to Kyrgyzstan and Hungary’s strategic partnership, according to news portals citing the Kyrgyz presidential office. The sides plan to sign several documents aimed at further bolstering bilateral cooperation.
Havasi added that Orbán will attend the summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) in Bishkek on 6 November.
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There are numerous castles in Hungary, many of which have been beautifully restored to warmly welcome visitors and serve as stunning venues for weddings and other special occasions. Some of these Renaissance, Baroque and Art Nouveau castles are not only historical monuments but have been renovated to serve as hospitals, museums, hotels, exhibition spaces, or even open-air theatres.
Termalfurdo.hu has compiled a list that includes the most charming castles in Hungary. Many of these castles in Hungary either function as spas or are located near renowned thermal baths, making them ideal destinations for those seeking both relaxation and historic charm.
Zala County
Festetics Castle, located in Keszthely, is one of the largest Baroque castles in Hungary. The castle’s construction began in 1745, and the building underwent several renovations in the 18th and 19th centuries, now boasting a total of 101 rooms. Visitors can explore a permanent exhibition on aristocratic life, while the park surrounding the castle is a designated nature reserve. Just 7 kilometres away in Hévíz, the famous thermal baths offer the perfect spot for relaxation after a day of sightseeing.
Source: Wikimedia Comms / Author: Thaler
Nádasdy Castle in Egervár is one of the most significant Renaissance monuments in Central Europe and once played a vital role in the region’s defence. Although partially destroyed after the Rákóczi War of Independence, it now functions as a museum and open-air theatre. The castle’s modern visitor guide system offers insights into Renaissance life. Nearby, the Zalaegerszeg Thermal Baths provide a peaceful retreat for those looking to unwind.
Source: Wikimedia Comms / Author: Szvitek Péter
Somogy County
Hertelendy Castle, built in the early 1920s, is now a luxurious five-star hotel. A favourite for weddings and events, it features a large park, spa facilities, a golf course, riding stables, and even its own airport. Its fame was further enhanced when the film S.O.S. Love was shot here. The nearby Nagyatád Thermal and Spa Baths, open all year round, offer visitors a range of relaxing pools.
Source: Wikimedia Comms / Author: Egresij
Pallavicini Castle, built in 1906 in the late eclectic style, was once home to Margrave Ede Pallavicini, who found the area’s climate beneficial for his health. Today, it houses the Somogy County Lung and Heart Hospital. The 17-hectare park surrounding the castle is adorned with fountains and scenic walkways, and the nearby Kaposvár Flower Baths provide further opportunities for relaxation.
Source: Wikimedia Comms / Author: Civertan
Tolna County
Ozora Castle, nestled in Tolna County, evokes the charm of Renaissance Italy, with decor reminiscent of Italian town palaces. Built in the 15th century and later occupied by the Turks, the castle was converted into a museum in 2007. Visitors can explore period bedrooms, a throne room with a grand fireplace, a Renaissance dining room, and a 15th-century funhouse and kitchen. For those looking to extend their stay, the nearby Tamási Spa offers a variety of relaxation options.
Source: Wikimedia Comms / Author: Civertan
In Simontornya, Fried Castle, a stunning Art Nouveau building, has been transformed into a charming hotel. It draws guests with its French-style park, elegant rooms, and spa facilities. After being converted into apartments in the 1940s, the castle was reopened as a hotel in 2005. It is now a popular choice for weddings, corporate events, and romantic weekend getaways.
Source: Wikimedia Comms / Author: Egresij
Baranya County
Puchner Castle in Bikal, built in 1840, is now a hotel that offers guests a taste of aristocratic living and historic elegance. The hotel boasts a range of wellness facilities, including French and Moroccan-style baths, an adventure estate, and a sports complex. The nearby Gunaras Spa offers additional relaxation options for visitors.
Source: Wikimedia Comms / Author: Egresij
Hungary is home to many excellent thermal spas, and those mentioned above are just a few of the wonderful options available. Set in beautiful surroundings, these thermal baths and castles in Hungary provide the perfect setting for complete relaxation, blending history with rejuvenation.
PM Viktor Orbán will pay an official visit to Georgia on October 28-29, his press chief said on Sunday, confirming Georgian press reports citing information from the Tbilisi government.
Viktor Orbán in Georgia
According to press reports, PM Orbán has been invited by Irakli Kobakhidze, Georgia‘s prime minister. The Hungarian delegation will include Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, Economic Development Minister Márton Nagy and Finance Minister Mihály Varga.
After one-on-one talks and plenary meetings, Kobakhidze and Orbán will give a joint press conference.
No issue is more important in Europe today than demography, Speaker of Parliament László Kövér said in Cluj-Napoca (Kolozsvár), in north-western Romania, on Friday, adding that the key question was whether Hungarians, Romanians and Europeans in general could populate the continent.
Kövér told the opening worship service of the festive synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Romania that while the question of who had arrived first in Transylvania was a “constant debate between Hungarians and Romanians”, the most important question was “who will survive on this land”.
The answer to this question, he said, would be provided by demography. The speaker said ethnic Hungarians in Transylvania were loyal to both the state of Romania and the Hungarian nation, and thereby strengthened ethnic peace in Romania and regional political stability.
Speaker Kövér’s address in Kolozsvár. Photo: MTI
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The leaders of national delegations in the Patriots for Europe (PfE) group in the European Parliament will pay a working visit to New York on October 26-28, the Fidesz EP group told MTI on Saturday.
They will travel to New York at the invitation of the New York Young Republican Club for talks on European-American relations and further cooperation possibilities as part of the programme series dubbed Europe meets the US.
The Fidesz-Christian Democrats group will be represented by delegation head Tamás Deutsch.
Deutschsaid the meeting will be an important step to further strengthen the cooperation between right-wing, patriot forces.
Tamás Deutsch elected vice president of the Budapest Fidesz this Friday:
The PfE national delegation leaders will attend a campaign rally of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trumpon October 27.
Photo: FB/Trump
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