Hungarian FM calls for restoring cooperation between Russia, EU

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov met in Budapest on Wednesday with an agenda focusing on bilateral cooperation and international issues.

Szijjarto called for restoring the cooperation between Russia and the European Union based on mutual respect and international law.

The EU, he told a news conference, needs the combination of Russian natural resources and advanced technologies to improve its economy.

Both Hungary and Russia want to see the slowdown in their bilateral economic and trade ties halted and reversed. Last year, the trade declined by 47 percent and so far this year it was down by an additional 25 percent, Szijjarto added.

Szijjarto said he believed the agreement between the transatlantic community and Russia was a key to resolving global challenges.

Lavrov focused on Russia's ties with Hungary, saying he saw good possibilities for pragmatic cooperation. Agreeing that the slowdown in bilateral trade had to be halted, he cited a contract with Hungary to upgrade its only nuclear power station, located at Paks on the Danube about 112 km south of Budapest, as a long-term strategic investment.

In an interview with the Hungarian daily Magyar Hirlap prior to his visit, Lavrov said he was sure the Hungarian government would be able to answer all questions posed by Brussels in connection with the project.

Lavrov told the news conference that discussions had included Ukraine, Syria and Iraq, Russia's relations with NATO and the EU, and the migration crisis in Europe. Endit