President Tamás Sulyok said that Hungary was aiming to step up the region’s competitiveness and economic weight by strengthening political, economic and infrastructure ties.
Attending the summit of the Three Seas Initiative (3SI) in Vilnius on Thursday, President Sulyok said Hungary sees developing economic and diplomatic ties based on mutual respect as a priority. The Three Seas Initiative comprises Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Austria, Croatia, Romania, Greece and Bulgaria. The participants signed a joint resolution at the end of the summit, the statement said. Sulyok held several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit. At his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Sulyok said Hungary condemned Russian aggression and pledged that the country would continue to aid Ukrainian refugees and the worn-torn country. Hungary’s interest is in a speedy ceasefire and a “sustainable, fair” peace, he said. He also noted the importance of restoring and guaranteeing the acquired rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine. Sulyok and Zelensky both pledged their commitment to constructive dialogue, the statement said. With Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, Sulyok discussed further strengthening ties. Sulyok congratulated Iohannis on Romania partially joining the Schengen Area, and said the country “should have become a full-fledged member a long time ago”. At talks with Latvian President Edgar Rinkevics, Sulyok said Hungary was a reliable ally of fellow NATO member Latvia and continues to participate in the air policing missions in the Baltic states. He said that despite differences in opinion on several issues, bilateral ties were “unhindered” and both countries were open to dialogue. Sulyok also met Slovak Deputy Prime Minister Tomas Taraba and said the two countries had mutual interests in strengthening strategic ties. They both agreed that Visegrad cooperation should be strengthened, and Sulyok reinforced an invitation for president-elect Peter Pellegrini to visit Hungary after his inauguration, the statement said.