Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said Hungarian-American political relations are set to enter a "golden age" with the election of Donald Trump as the next US president, and relations between Hungary and the US could be better than ever before.
Minister Szijjártó told a joint press conference with his Georgian counterpart in response to a question about his US visit on the previous day that they had held lengthy talks with President-elect Trump, designate National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and designate Co-Chair of the Department of Government Efficiency Elon Musk lasting about three hours.
"Of course we also congratulated the president-elect because this was the first in-person meeting between the prime minister and the president-elect since the election," he added.
"The prime minister and the president-elect maintained relations also during the time when Donald Trump was not the president, during the election campaign, and they have talked on the phone several times since," Szijjarto said. "It is completely natural that they hold consultations regularly."
Minister Szijjártó said that what further increased the importance of the meeting was that as a result of the transformation of the global economy, digitalisation and AI could play crucial roles in determining a country's future place in the global economy. Musk and the global empire of companies linked to him play a serious role in spreading new technology, he added.
Minister Szijjártó also said that currently there was an opportunity for better than-ever political relations to develop between Hungary and the US.
He added that it was important that until January 20, 2025, nobody in the US or Europe should make irresponsible decisions that could make it impossible to create peace and that would set off irreversible developments.
Considering that the war is still ongoing, the efforts of Hungary's peace mission must be enhanced, he said. "Last week the prime minister visited the Holy Father. I was in Moscow, in Washington, and held meetings in Malta. Now we travelled to Florida with the prime minister and at least two more events will take place this week that form part of the peace mission, one tomorrow and another one the day after tomorrow," he said.
The foreign minister added that Hungary’s government believes the European Union’s proposal to impose sanctions on Georgia’s interior minister and two police officials is “nonsensical and uncalled for”, and will veto the motion if necessary.
Minister Szijjártó Hungary and Georgia are both led by patriotic governments “against which the liberal mainstream has launched serious ideological and political attacks”.