"Everyone should be included; no country should feel they are in a minority or opposition,” he said, pointing out that "this is the wrong path, both philosophically and strategically, which the EU should not follow".
Economic drive
PM Orban highlighted that economic ties between the two countries have strengthened, with trade increasing fourfold in the past decade. He welcomed that six hundred Italian companies currently employ twenty thousand people in Hungary. Hungary and Italy have recently cooperated in developing the Triest port and a logistics project in Gorond in Ukraine. He added that cooperation should be broadened to include energy.
At the press briefing, Viktor Orban said that Europe’s biggest problem now is its decline in competitiveness, and Hungary’s EU rotating presidency would put a European competitiveness pact centre stage.
"Hungary and Italy have a common interest in a competitive European economy," he said, adding that hundreds of thousands of jobs may be lost in the next decade if no competitiveness pact is concluded, according to MTI. Touching on the issue of EU enlargement, PM Orban emphasized that he considers the integration of the Balkan countries important, while calling it unacceptable that they have been waiting for accession for fifteen years.
Fighting migration
During their meeting, Orban and Meloni also discussed the issue of illegal migration. Although Italy is closer to African countries, Hungary is also severely affected by immigration, Hungary's prime minister said, adding that Hungary supports Italy's proposal for a comprehensive European development strategy for Africa, as in the next twenty years the population growth in Africa will be twice as much as the population of the entire European Union.
Speaking about Italy-Hungary relations, Viktor Orban said cooperation is "significant both in the economy and in defense policy" and should be broadened to include energy, noting that a gas pipeline will be built connecting the two countries’ networks via Slovenia.
Rome–Budapest axis
As Magyar Nemzet reported earlier, Meloni also stressed that bilateral relations between Rome and Budapest are excellent, and that Hungary is an important European partner and a valuable NATO ally. She noted that among other issues, they also discussed the Russia-Ukraine conflict, on which the two countries hold differing views.
Italy's prime minister emphasized that she highly appreciates and is grateful that Hungary has so far allowed member states and allies to reach agreement on important issues at EU and NATO meetings, even if Hungary did not fully agree.
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