Barna Pál Zsigmond, the state secretary for European Union affairs, said Turkey and Hungary are important strategic partners.
After attending a congress of Turkey’s governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Ankara on Saturday, Zsigmond said that the Turkish side had expressed appreciation for Hungary’s search-and-rescue assistance and humanitarian aid after the earthquake in February. Hungary is also helping with reconstruction, he added. Zsigmond said Turkey played a key role in the security of Hungary and the EU, pointing to an EU agreement with the country that eased migration pressure on the frontiers of the continent. Turkey also plays an important role in ensuring Hungary’s energy security, he added. He said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan would pay a visit to Budapest on December 18, for the next meeting of the high-level strategic cooperation council.