Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán visits Switzerland
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was received in the Swiss capital, Bern, on Tuesday by President Alain Berset and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis. One of the topics discussed was relations with the EU, of which Hungary will hold the presidency in the second half of 2024.
The Swiss side reaffirmed its goal of stabilising and further developing the bilateral path with the EU, according to a government statement.
Accordingly, cooperation with Hungary as a recipient country of the Swiss EU cohesion contribution was also discussed. The focus is on vocational education and training, research and innovation.
The talks with Orbán and his Hungarian delegation also covered current international issues such as the situation in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine. The initiative for the meeting with the government came from the Hungarian Prime Minister.
+ The Hungarians who sought a new home in Switzerland
Orbán will take part in an event organised by the right-leaning weekly newspaper Die Weltwoche in Zurich on Wednesday. Editor-in-chief Roger Köppel, an outgoing parliamentarian for the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, regularly praises Orbán for his rebellious attitude towards the EU Commission.
Orbán, who is considered a close confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been criticised internationally, especially since Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine in February last year, which was ordered by Putin. However, Hungary formally supports the sanctions imposed on Russia.
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