Steven N.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban is meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured) in the Kremlin on the afternoon of February 1, Bertalan Havasi, deputy state secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, officially announced. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov also informed Russian journalists of the visit on Monday.
Despite the lingering negative effects of the coronavirus pandemic, Hungary and Russia are continuing their joint economic projects, stated Havasi, several of which will be on the agenda of the summit. Viktor Orbán and Vladimir Putin also plan to discuss key international developments.
Havasi and Peskov each emphasized that both sides attach great importance to the Moscow visit, in view of further developing Hungarian-Russian bilateral relations.
The press chief added that Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would also hold talks at the same time as discussions take place between Viktor Orbán and Vladimir Putin.
The Russian President and the Hungarian Prime Minister are meeting as tensions are between Russia and Ukraine are at a critical point, with the West expecting a Russian attack on Ukraine for the past few weeks. In his Friday morning radio interview, Orbán said that Hungary supported peace in the region.
Péter Szijjártó originally announced the date of Viktor Orbán’s visit to Moscow in an interview with Russian news agency TASS on January 20.
Szijjártó said that the main topic of the meeting would be Paks II, the project to expand Hungary’s sole nuclear power plant, but that they would also discuss extending the gas supply contract, possibly manufacturing Russian vaccine Sputnik V in Hungary, and a joint space research project between the two countries. [HVG]
No surprise that the leader of the Hungarian regime went to Moscow to meet the leader of the Russian regime. Orban and Putin will both go down in history as individuals who hindered development of their respective nations.
Their use of scapegoats such as but not limited to LGBT people, let alone the false myths of nationalism have contributed to a focus away from real problems. The most important postponed topic-in my opinion- is the modernization of Hungary and Russia, which must also include a fair and equitable liberal democratic government, based on rule of law. vs. law of rule.
Good points, Misi!
Very true indeed, Misi!
The need for causes focusing on threats against the established “security” of the old post-Soviet order is a key to maintaining acceptance of the strong-man system, for better or worse – Never mind the bullying behavior.
As part of that package, systemic corruption takes preference over an ill-reputed (largely because of inherited class-struggle- and anti-semitic stereotypes), open economic policy.
The scope of denial in this political behavior rivals (and supports) Holocaust denial, and somewhere along the line, most young people learn to accept what they are offered, as long as they don’t extend their hopes and aspirations to influence on politics.