House Speaker László Kövér said the excellent ties Hungary and Austria have established can continue smoothly.
After meeting the president of Austria’s National Council in Budapest on Tuesday, Kövér pointed out that he and his Austrian counterpart now belonged again in the same political party group, as Walter Rosenkranz is a member of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), which won the general election last September. He also noted that Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party, of which he is a member, set up the Patriots for Europe party group in the European Parliament together with FPO.
Kövér highlighted "traditionally good relations" between the two countries, which he said had been built not only on a historical but also on an economic foundation.
Pointing out the economic aspect, Kover noted that Austria is Hungary’s second-largest capital investor and fourth-largest trading partner. "In addition, more than 100,000 Hungarian jobholders working in Austria help strengthen the country’s economy," he said.
As regards global affairs, the two countries are on the same footing or have a similar position on many issues in line with their national interests, the speaker said.
"This provides a basis for the two countries’ parliaments to continue to work closely not only on the level of speakers, but also on the level of specialised committees and friendship chapters," he added.
Kövér said that he will again greet his Austrian counterpart at a meeting of speakers of EU member states set for May at which Rosenkranz would deliver an opening address focusing on the topic of the choice between federalism and national sovereignty.
He said that though the meeting in Budapest had ended up being short, it marked "the beginning of a beautiful friendship".
Rosenkranz also called the meeting short, adding, however, that "its quality is defined not by its duration, but by its content".
He said that at the meeting they had discussed the two countries’ joint efforts towards promoting the EU accession of countries in south-eastern Europe, which, he said, was in the interest of Europe, the EU and Austria and Hungary as well.