The Hungarian Prime Minister said about Mr Salvini that “he is my hero, and also a comrade-in-arms, (…) and I have some experience that I can share with him”.

Regarding Hungarian-Italian relations, the Prime Minister said that economic and security policy relations are good, but cooperation with previous governments was very poor because they continually insulted the Hungarian people.

Mr Orbán stressed that Hungary is being attacked because it has proven that the borders can be protected. Meanwhile Brussels has been saying that migrants cannot be stopped, and therefore they must be let in.

He added that it is Matteo Salvini’s mission to prove that immigrants can be stopped not only on land, but also at sea. Hungary supports him in this mission, and he will advise the Italian Interior Minister to “hold on” because it matters not how much they abuse you, and that “they say horrible things about you”; if you hold on, you can prove that the borders can be protected.

Mr Orbán highlighted that the policy of Brussels as well as of the Germans, French and Spanish is about how to better manage migration. By contrast, the V4 do not seek to better manage migration, but to stop it.

Regarding migrants who are already in Europe, the task in hand is not to distribute them, but to take them back home, he stated, adding that if they are distributed, it means that the people smugglers have won, and ever further flows of migrants will be arriving in Europe. The only way to save them from drowning at sea is by convincing them not to even set out. This is, however, only possible if there is evidence to show that they cannot enter Europe, the Hungarian Prime Minister said.