Orban in Moscow: it’s not only about energy

On 17th February 2016 Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Moscow. President Vladimir Putin confirmed Russia’s commitment to the development of the Hungarian nuclear power plant in Paks. Both parties also confirmed the deal agreed in 2015 to extend the contract for gas supplies to Hungary until 2019. The press conference with the participation of Orban and Putin was dominated by international issues. Orban dismissed the possibility of an ‘automatic extension’ of the EU sanctions against Russia in June and called for a discussion about it within the EU. He also called for the normalisation of relations between the EU and Russia and underlined that co-operation with Moscow was an indispensable condition in order to maintain the competitiveness of the EU’s economy. He also praised Russia for ‘contributing to solving the conflict in Syria and limiting the migration to Europe’. Putin expressed his appreciation for Hungary’s efforts to resume dialogue between the EU and Russia and to ‘protect the European identity’ in the face of the migration crisis. Following the visit, the Hungarian government, which had been until then rather critical of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, declared that ‘the project might be of importance to Europe’.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: PM Orbán In Moscow: Great Progress Made In Russian-Hungarian Relations Over Past Year http://www.europeansources.info/record/pm-orban-in-moscow-great-progress-made-in-russian-hungarian-relations-over-past-year/

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