Hungary's relations with Finland are flourishing thanks to a shared value system and mutual respect, according to Hungary's parliamentary speaker.
László Kövér made the remarks during an official visit to Finland where he met with Finnish counterpart Maria Lohela and first deputy speaker Mauri Pekkarinen.
Kövér said links between the Hungarian and Finnish parliaments were regular and diverse. A 17-member Hungarian-Finnish friendly division led by István Vitányi and a separate Finno-Ugric friendly division in the parliament play important roles in maintaining ties, he added.
During the talks, the sides were in agreement that strengthening the European Union was a shared goal, but this should be based on strong member states holding debates as equal partners instead of strengthening Brussels institutions.
“When common decisions are made, every member state’s position must be taken into consideration. We do not want several Europes but a strong Europe,” he said. The opinions of national parliaments should be channeled towards better EU decision-making, he added.