Prime Minister Viktor Orbán held talks with members of the US Congress in Budapest. The delegation included Senators John Barrasso, Mike Crapo, John Kennedy, Congressman Russell Fulcher and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Orbán’s press chief told MTI. Parties at the talks discussed current bilateral security policy and economic cooperation, as well as issues related to energy supplies to Hungary and central Europe, Bertalan Havasi told MTI. The sides concluded that bilateral economic and defence ties have been excellent and the two countries’ political relations have significantly improved recently.
Finance Minister Mihaly Varga later met Senator Crapo, with whom he discussed bilateral economic ties. The Finance Ministry quoted Varga as saying at the meeting that bilateral ties could receive a boost from the similarities in the positions of the two countries’ governments in areas like tax policy, family support or immigration. Hungary’s investor and business-friendly economic policy is reflected in the two countries’ relations, Varga said. The United States is Hungary’s number one trading partner outside the European Union, he said, noting that the volume of Hungarian exports to the US last year rose by 10% to 3.5 billion dollars. The minister said the US could continue to view Hungary as a reliable partner, arguing that the country’s improving economic performance, stable macroeconomic indicators, skilled workforce and declining tax burdens would continue to attract investments. American companies make up one of the most significant investor community in Hungary, Varga said, noting that the 1,700 US companies doing business in the country employ more than 100,000 people.