President János Áder has highlighted how economic relations between Hungary and Austria have intensified dynamically over the past seven years.
The president made the announcement following talks with his Austrian counterpart in Vienna on Wednesday. At a joint press conference with Alexander Van der Bellen, President Áder noted that several aspects of the two countries’ relations, including their economic ties, have progressed dynamically over the past seven years.
President Áder said Austria is still one of Hungary’s major economic partners, noting that it is the third largest foreign employer and investor in Hungary. Bilateral trade turnover was just under 11 billion euros last year, he added.
The two leaders also discussed the question of EU enlargement and the situation of the Western Balkans. President Áder said he and Van der Bellen were in agreement on the need to integrate the Western Balkan states into the bloc. “But it takes two to tango,” he said, adding that candidate countries must fulfil the EU’s requirements and the bloc must also be consistent, predictable and principled in its approach to the accession of the Western Balkan countries.
The Austrian president spoke highly of Hungary’s leading role in the EU in IT developments, noting, at the same time, the two countries’ disagreement on nuclear power. He also promised that Hungary and Austria would jointly celebrate the 30th anniversary of the dismantling of the Iron Curtain.