Hungary's foreign minister has met with his Estonian counterpart to discuss ways of improving security and defense of the EU and Baltic region.
Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, met with Sven Mikser of Estonia in Budapest on Wednesday.
According to MTI, Estonia, holding the European Union‘s rotating presidency, and Hungary have adopted identical positions on a number of issues in the debates over the EU’s future.
"Both countries consider it a priority to reinforce the Schengen zone, defend the EU’s borders and intensify cooperation between the EU and NATO," the ministry said in a statement.
"They agree that, in the interest of restoring the EU’s competitiveness, taxation and social-welfare policies should remain national competencies and digital projects should be given a boost," it added.
Duiring their meeting, the ministers also discussed Hungary’s contribution to security in the Baltic region. "In the framework of Visegrad cooperation, 130 Hungarian soldiers are stationed in Estonia. In 2019, Hungarian fighter planes will once again take part in defending the Baltic air space," the ministry said.
Hungary also supports Estonia’s quest to serve as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2020-2021, the ministry concluded.