During a meeting between Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and President Macron in Paris on Friday, the Prime Minister called for unity and cooperation between the eastern and western member states of the European Union.
At a joint press conference with Macron in the garden of the Élysée Palace, PM Orbán said Hungary and France were both interested in a successful and economically strong Europe. The Prime Minister noted that France and the central European member states held similar positions on security, border protection and the need for a joint European military.
PM Orbán said he will also explain to Macron why Hungary and France hold such differing views on the issue of migration. He underscored the differences between Hungary and France’s civilizational traditions, saying that the two countries had different ways of contributing to Europe’s security through the means of solidarity.
On another subject, PM Orbán said that in order to improve Europe’s security, the bloc must “move its gates” further down to the south and find a form of enlargement that best serves this goal.
In regards to climate policy, the Prime Minister called Hungary a “climate champion”, arguing that it was among the one-third of EU member states with the lowest CO2 emissions and was ready to continue pursuing its goals in this area.
Concerning bilateral ties, PM Orbán said economic relations between the two countries were “excellent”. France is the fourth largest investor in Hungary, with 670 companies employing some 40,000 people, he said. PM Orbán expressed hope that French investors would continue to pursue their activities in Hungary.
Photo credit: Reuters