“Hungary is a NATO member state and an ally of the United States. The Hungarian people made their decision [on NATO membership] in a referendum,” Orbán told MTI in response to a question. “The Hungarian government aims to further strengthen its existing alliance with the US. We are preparing for [Pompeo’s] visit to Budapest in this spirit,” he added.
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told the press that Hungary was a reliable NATO member state and those that question Hungary’s dedication do so with bad intentions. Hungary is in talks with the US about the modernisation of defence cooperation and this takes time but consultations are ongoing, he said, adding that Pompeo is visiting central Europe in mid-February but details are still being discussed.
In the meantime, the opposition Párbeszéd has called on Orbán to sign a Hungarian-US inter-governmental agreement on defence cooperation without any delay. Co-leader Tímea Szabó said that following 18 months of talks, Orbán was still “unwilling to sign” the document.