A golden age has set in in relations between the United States and Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated after signing an agreement on nuclear cooperation between the two countries at a press conference held together with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday in Budapest. Mr Orbán said Hungary supports the peace efforts of the United States in Ukraine.
The Prime Minister highlighted: Never before have relations between the two countries been this high-level, balanced and driven by good intentions. He recalled that since last January, decisions had been adopted on 17 US investments in Hungary which was a ten-year record.
Hungarians can again travel to the United States visa-free, he indicated, thanking Mr Rubio for this gesture. Hungary has been invited to the newly-established Board of Peace, the founding meeting of which will be held this week in Washington, he said, adding that he will represent Hungary.
The parties have additionally concluded key agreements in the area of energy which extend to crude oil, gas and nuclear energy. These – together with the exemption granted to Hungary which allows the continued use of Russian gas and oil – contribute to the continued safety of Hungary’s energy supply and allow us to provide both households and industry with energy at prices which are low by international standards, Mr Orbán said.
The Prime Minister indicated that at the meeting with Mr Rubio, which he described as “cordial, amicable and serious,” the parties also spoke about how Mol can purchase the crude oil refinery operated by NIS (Naftna Industrija Srbije) in Serbia.
Mr Orbán said Hungary supports the peace efforts of the United States in Ukraine. He said the incumbent president has done the most in international politics so far in order to conclude a peace in the Russo-Ukrainian war.
“Everyone knows that if Donald Trump had been the president of the United States, this war wouldn’t have broken out in the first place,” he observed, adding that if someone other than Donald Trump were the US president now, we would not stand a chance of concluding this war with a peace deal within a foreseeable time. “So, we express our respects and gratitude to the President of the United States for his peace efforts,” he said.
The Prime Minister pointed out that Hungary stood ready to host a peace summit when the time came in Budapest. He confirmed to Mr Rubio that Donald Trump had a standing invitation to Hungary.
In answer to a question of the public service media, Mr Orbán said the Ukrainians and their president have evidently engaged in the Hungarian election campaign. He said intervening in another country’s election campaign with such brutal openness is rare, but understandable at the same time; the Hungarian elections are primarily important for the Hungarian people, but they do have an impact outside Hungary as well.
The Ukrainians have every reason to believe that it is relevant what kind of a government Hungary will have, he stressed. It is not irrelevant for Ukraine what this decision will be, and therefore, they are taking part in the Hungarian campaign with full bodyweight and armour.
He said there are two options: one is the Hungarian people’s who clearly stated in a vote, the Vote2025 that they did not consent to the admission of Ukraine to the European Union. “We are convinced that this would drag us into the war and would destroy our economy,” Mr Orbán underlined, adding that the Ukrainians also know that we will not give Brussels money in order for Brussels to send it to Ukraine.
The other option – which is a real option and is preferred by the Ukrainians – is if a government were formed which wants – or at least accepts – Ukraine to be a member of the European Union. They want a government which takes part in sharing Ukraine’s financial burdens, meaning a government that sends money to Ukraine, Mr Orbán said.
The Prime Minister pointed out that we must adapt to this situation, and must accept that the Ukrainian president and Ukraine will play an active role in the elections. “And we must win against them, too,” he stated.
He also said they are aware that their opponents are financed from abroad, they know how this is happening; this is a documented process. “This is how we must win the elections. We’ve already won elections in all sorts of ways, we will win them like this on this occasion,” Mr Orbán laid down.
In answer to a question relating to a possible negative outcome of the elections, the Prime Minister said those who are young are not thoroughly acquainted with Hungary’s modern-day history. Not only is he Europe’s longest-serving prime minister with 20 years in office, but also the politician spending the longest time – 16 years – in opposition. “I sometimes win, sometimes lose,” he said, adding that there is no question of what will happen if they lose; this happened on a regular basis in the past. There is nothing to be afraid of, Hungarian democracy is very strong, and the Hungarians firmly believe in democracy and competition also in politics. This is what they have done in the past 35 years, he observed. He expressed hope that they would remain in government also after the elections, but Hungary will remain strong regardless of the outcome.
The Prime Minister was asked about a possible visit by Donald Trump to Hungary. He said in international politics rather than long-term planning, rapid response is a more coveted virtue, and the Americans are very good at this. That at this time we know nothing certain about the president’s visit to Hungary does not mean that it will not happen. In actual fact, it may mean the very opposite; the less we know something for certain, the more likely it is to happen, he added.
Answering a question relating to relations between Hungary and China, Mr Orbán said there is a fact that must be taken into consideration as a reference point in all Hungary’s international relations, namely that Hungary is a member of NATO. This designates the boundaries of cooperation with others in the area of security issues; Hungary only cooperates with NATO Member States on security issues, he laid down.
The Prime Minister said in the area of trade, they advocate cooperation with as many countries as possible. “If someone, any of our partners doesn’t like our cooperation, they will say so, and if they say so, we’ll discuss it,” he pointed out.
He said his experience with the Americans is that “it’s best to tell them everything in an straightforward and open manner.” Hungary plays with its cards on the table, and if there is anything the Americans do not like, they will say so.
Mr Orbán said since the new president entered into office, there has not been a single point of conflict in the area of cooperation with the United States. Earlier, during the Democratic administration, this was not the case, at the time, there were a great many conflicts, he pointed out.
He said in summary that the Hungarians always openly state what they want and why, what they object to, and what it is they support and ask for. Hungary is a reliable partner because “it is an advocate of straight talk,” and the incumbent president of the United States belongs to the same school, he said, adding that there are no taboos, the two countries can talk about everything, including Hungarian-Chinese relations.
At the beginning of the press conference, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó and Mr Rubio signed an agreement between the United States of America and Hungary to facilitate cooperation in Hungary in connection with a civilian nuclear energy programme.
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