Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni received Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Rome on Wednesday, 4 December. The two leaders discussed several challenges facing the European Union. ‘Old friendship, new chapter, big plans,’ Orbán wrote in a post on X following the meeting.
During their discussions, Meloni congratulated Orbán on Hungary’s successful EU Presidency, highlighting the adoption of the Budapest Declaration on Competitiveness and the initiation of accession negotiations with Albania. She also commended the breakthrough achieved under Hungary’s presidency on the Schengen accession of Bulgaria and Romania.
The two prime ministers reaffirmed their commitment to further deepening the Hungarian–Italian bilateral partnership. Regarding trade relations, they expressed satisfaction that the value of trade between the two nations reached €14 billion in 2023. ‘There is room for further progress in investment and trade, particularly in infrastructure and energy,’ the two leaders noted at their meeting.
The two agreed to intensify political dialogue and to continue coordinating on key international issues, including the situation in the Middle East, achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine based on the principles of the UN Charter and international law, and their shared commitment to reconstruction efforts. They also looked ahead to the next Ukraine Recovery Conference, which Italy will host in July 2025.
Viktor Orbán and Giorgia Meloni highlighted the excellent cooperation between their countries in the field of security and defence within NATO, particularly Italy’s participation in the Hungarian-led multinational battalion comprising 260 soldiers.
They agreed to maintain their support for NATO and EU initiatives aimed at stabilizing the Western Balkans and reaffirmed their commitment to the integration of the region’s countries into European structures.
The discussions also addressed the issue of illegal migration. The two leaders emphasized the need for enhanced cooperation with countries of origin and transit, tackling the root causes of migration, and intensifying efforts to combat human trafficking and smuggling to prevent further loss of life.
They underscored the urgent need to update the legal framework to facilitate and expedite returns from the European Union, particularly by clarifying and strengthening the concept of a safe country of origin. The two leaders also agreed on the importance of exploring new approaches to preventing and combating illegal migration, in line with EU and international law, building on the framework established by the Italy–Albania agreement.
Before meeting with Meloni, Prime Minister Orbán was received by Pope Francis in Vatican City. Their discussions focused on promoting peace in Ukraine. During his visit, the Hungarian head of government also met with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Under-Secretary for Relations with States Miroslaw Wachowski.
The Holy See released a statement about the meetings, noting: ‘In a cordial meeting at the State Secretariat, the parties praised the solid and fruitful bilateral relations and expressed their appreciation for the commitment of the Catholic Church in Hungary to promote the development and well-being of society.’
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