Up for discussion between the Turkish President and Viktor Orban is Sweden’s membership of NATO, which neither country has yet ratified.
Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Budapest on Monday to meet his Hungarian ally, Viktor Orban.
President Erdogan began his visit in Heroes’ Square in the heart of the capital, where he was received with military honours by the Hungarian president, Katalin Novak.
The visit is Erdogan’s second in several months, a sign of the closeness of the two leaders, and coincides with the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
On the menu of discussions, are “the deepening of bilateral cooperation” and energy issues since Hungary is expected to begin importing gas through Turkey in 2024.
One of the other main topics on the table is Sweden’s membership of NATO, which neither country has yet given the green light to.
Hungary, for its part, has given its support in principle but has been dragging its feet for months. In September, Orban said there was “no emergency” to proceed to the vote, first demanding “respect” from the Nordic country.
Budapest has frequently called on Stockholm to stop its policy of “denigration” and its regular remarks on the breaches of the rule of law by the Orban executive.
In recent years, Viktor Orban has increased his standoffs with Brussels and its Western partners while pursuing a policy of opening towards the East.
He is the only EU leader to have maintained close ties with the Kremlin despite the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has moved closer to Turkey and China. -euronews
Photo: Hungary Today
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