Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni received Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in her office on Wednesday afternoon, Bertalan Havasi, deputy state secretary heading the Hungarian Prime Minister's Press Office told Hungarian state news agency MTI from Rome.
Giorgia Meloni congratulated Viktor Orban on Hungary's successful EU presidency, especially with regards to the Budapest declaration on competitiveness and to opening accession negotiations with Albania.
She highlighted that during Hungary's EU presidency, there has been a breakthrough in Bulgaria's and Romania's accession to the Schengen Area. The two prime ministers reaffirmed their commitment to further deepening Hungarian-Italian bilateral partnership.
Speaking about trade relations, they noted with satisfaction that trade reached 14 billion euros in 2023. There is room for further improvement in investment and trade, particularly in the infrastructure and energy sectors,
they said at the meeting. The prime ministers pledged to boost the intensity of political dialogue, and to continue coordination on the most important international issues. They discussed the situation in the Middle East and a fair and sustainable peace in Ukraine, based on the UN Charter and the principles of international law. Looking ahead, they also talked about their commitment to reconstruction in Ukraine, in preparation for a conference on the topic slated to be hosted by Italy in July 2025.
Viktor Orban and Giogia Meloni noted that Italian-Hungarian cooperation is thriving in defense and security within the framework of NATO, especially regarding the 260 Italian troops in the multinational battalion under Hungarian command
The two countries continue to support NATO and EU initiatives aiming to stabilize the Western Balkans, and support the EU integration of the region, the prime ministers said. During the meeting, they also discussed illegal migration, and called for increased cooperation with countries of origin and transit to tackle the root causes of migration and to fight people smuggling and trading in human persons in order to prevent loss of life. The prime ministers agreed that the EU legislative framework must be urgently updated to make repatriation easier and faster, especially by clarifying and strengthening the concept of a safe country of origin. They also agreed on the need to find new methods to prevent and fight illegal migration while respecting EU and international law, along the lines of the agreement between Italy and Albania, the Hungarian PM's press chief said.
Cover photo: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is received by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the Chigi Palace in Rome on December 4, 2024 (Photo: MTI/Hungarian PM's Press Office/Vivien Cher Benko)
