Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has held talks with prominent politicians on the sidelines of the EPP congress, including Albania’s Lulzim Bash, Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi and Ukraine’ Petro Poroshenko.
PM Orbán and Lulzim Basha were in agreement that stability in the western Balkans is a key issue for the future of Europe. Hungary wants to promote this by all possible means, PM Orbán said. The talks focused on current European political issues and ways to strengthen Hungarian-Albanian economic and political relations. The sides agreed to strengthen cooperation and regularly exchange experiences.
This morning, PM Orbán held talks with former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. During the meeting, which was also attended by President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani, PM Orbán and Berlusconi reviewed Europe’s economic situation and current Italian domestic affairs. The prime minister invited Berlusconi for a visit to Hungary, to strengthen ties between their political parties.
PM Orbán also discussed the issue of dual citizenship for ethnic Hungarians living in Ukraine with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. PM Orbán reassured Poroshenko of Hungary’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The prime minister also stressed Hungary’s commitment to maintaining its energy cooperation with Ukraine, which includes the two countries’ joint fight against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
Prime Minister Orbán also held talks with former President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, European Commission Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness Jyrki Katainenpress, Austrian Vice-Chancellor Reinhold Mitterlehner, Croatian Prime Minsiter Andrej Plenković and Boyko Borisov, the presumptive re-elected prime minister of Bulgaria.