Swiss president to meet Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán
Defence Minister Viola Amherd, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, will pay a presidential visit to Hungary on Thursday and Friday.
The bilateral relations between Switzerland and Hungary, European policy and the European security situation will be discussed at the meetings, which will include talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, the defence ministry said on Monday.
Hungary will preside over the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2024. According to the defence ministry, the talks will therefore also focus on the ongoing negotiations between Switzerland and the EU. Meanwhile, the high-level conference on peace in Ukraine planned for June 15 and 16 at the Bürgenstock resort would be an important topic concerning the security situation in Europe, it said, adding that Amherd would explain the aims of the conference from a Swiss perspective.
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Bilateral cooperation within the framework of Switzerland’s contributions to selected EU member states, including Hungary, would also be discussed in addition to bilateral economic relations. According to the government, Switzerland is the fifth-largest investor in Hungary. The 900 or so Swiss companies represented in the country have created almost 30,000 jobs. The volume of trade amounts to CHF2.6 billion ($2.8 billion).
According to the defence ministry, Amherd will also give a speech at Andrássy University Budapest during her presidential visit. She will also comment on Switzerland’s situation in Europe and the continent’s prospects.
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Translated from German by DeepL/ts
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